Equipment
Ingredients
Base
- 30 ml olive oil, extra virgin
- 15 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 100 g turkish sivri biber, finely chopped
- 300 g ripe tomatoes, peeled and finely diced
Eggs and Seasoning
- 4 eggs, whole
- 3 g salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 g aleppo pepper, divided
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 371 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbohydrates
- 10 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 734 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 16 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 388 mg
- Potassium
- 590 mg
- Calcium
- 84 mg
- Iron
- 3.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 35 mg
- Phosphorus
- 247 mg
- Zinc
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 283 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 61 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 26 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.13 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.51 mg
- Niacin
- 1.2 mg
- Folate
- 75 mcg
- Water
- 266 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted and foaming, add the chopped peppers and saute until softened and slightly blistered, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the diced tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and half of the Aleppo pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the tomatoes break down and the juices thicken into a rich sauce, about 10 minutes.
Crack the eggs directly over the simmering tomato mixture. Using a wooden spoon, gently break the yolks and swirl them into the sauce in a loose figure-eight motion. Do not over-mix; the egg whites and yolks should remain distinct.
Allow the eggs to cook undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes until just barely set. The residual heat will continue to cook them, so remove from heat while they still look slightly runny and glossy. For vulnerable populations, ensure eggs reach an internal temperature of 74°C/165°F or use pasteurized eggs.
Sprinkle the remaining Aleppo pepper over the top. Serve immediately straight from the skillet alongside fresh crusty bread.
Chef's Notes
- The debate over adding onions to menemen is famous in Turkey. Generally, classic breakfast menemen omits onions, while dinner menemen includes them. Feel free to add 50g of finely diced yellow onion with the peppers if you prefer the sweeter dinner style.
- For the best texture, peel your tomatoes before dicing. Score a shallow X on the bottom of the tomatoes, blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer to an ice bath for effortless peeling.
- Sivri biber are traditional Turkish sweet green peppers. If unavailable, Cubanelle or Anaheim peppers make excellent substitutes as they share a similarly thin skin and mild flavor profile.
- The key to perfect menemen is the swirl. Avoid vigorously scrambling the eggs into the pan; gently breaking the yolks and folding them through the hot tomato base ensures luxurious, distinct ribbons of egg rather than an orange mush.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store in an airtight container. Texture of eggs will degrade upon reheating.
Reheating: Gently warm in a skillet over low heat until just heated through. Microwaving is not recommended as it will overcook the eggs.
Troubleshooting
Watery menemen base
Cause: Tomatoes were not cooked down sufficiently before adding eggs, or tomatoes were exceptionally watery.
Fix: Cannot be easily fixed once eggs are added; serve with extra bread to soak up the excess liquid.
Prevention: Simmer the tomato base until the liquid has significantly reduced to a jam-like consistency before adding eggs.
Rubbery or dry eggs
Cause: Overcooking the eggs or leaving the pan on the hot burner after removing from active heat.
Fix: Cannot be fixed.
Prevention: Remove the pan from the heat when the eggs still appear slightly undercooked; residual pan heat will finish the job.
Cultural Context
Menemen originated in the Menemen district of Izmir Province in Turkey's Aegean Region. Popularized by Cretan Turks who arrived during the population exchange in the 1920s, it has become an indispensable cornerstone of the famous Turkish breakfast spread known as kahvalti. It is traditionally eaten communally directly from the copper pan, or sahan, using torn pieces of fresh bread instead of utensils.
