Turkish Scrambled Eggs, aka Menemen

A day without eggs, is just a sad day… 😀

I really could eat eggs any time of day.  From sunnyside up eggs for breakfast, egg salad sandwiches for lunch, and a frittata or quiche for dinner.  And all the other amazing dishes too numerous to mention.

Here is one of my favourite dishes that can go from breakfast to dinner seamlessly.  Turkish Scrambled Eggs are known as Menemen, and are often part of a delicious spread set out on Levantine tables for the family.

Think of Menemen as Shakshuka’s easy breezy cousin.  Similar in that a skillet is used to sauté veggies first, but instead of cracking eggs into the softened sauce of tomatoes, peppers, onions etc, you can just add in beaten eggs to scramble gently around the veggies.  No waiting for the eggs to set, and sometimes being frustrated because the whites aren’t as set as you’d like, but the yolks are too done.  

Ingredients Needed for Menemen

• Onions: a good ole yellow onion is perfect.  You will dice it small, for easy sautéing.
• Shishito Peppers: now that Shishito peppers are easily sourced at most grocery stores, use these if at all possible.  These most closely resemble the peppers traditionally used in Turkish kitchens.  Of course, if you just can’t find them, a diced green pepper will work just fine.
• Tomatoes: There are several ways to go here. In the summer, ripe Roma tomatoes work great.  Year round, small cherry tomatoes are perfectly acceptable.  And yes, a can of diced tomatoes will work perfectly as well.  Whichever one you choose, make sure the dice on the fresh tomatoes are smaller so that the skin can ‘melt’ into the mixture, and use all the juices, whether from fresh or from the can or jar.
• Seasonings: Dried oregano, Aleppo pepper, chilli flakes, fresh chopped dill or parsley, all of these come together to make the dish unforgettable.  
• Eggs: use fresh, large eggs.  If you want the dish to be egg-centric, use two per person.  If you want the dish to be a bit more saucy, hold back an egg or so.  Instead of four for two people, use three; instead of eight eggs for four people, use six, you get it.  And yes, I love to use golden Conestoga Eggs for the best results.  The next best thing to having my own chickens!

Method

Menemen is really an easy dish to prepare.  You can even have all the veggies diced and stored in the fridge the evening before, for easy assembly the next morning.  Sauté the onions and peppers in a combination of oil and butter over medium low heat till softened.  Add the seasonings.  Add the tomatoes and cook till heated through and softened as well.  Then just push the cooked veggies to one side (just an option, you can also just make sure they are spread out evenly across the bottom of the pan. 

Gently beat the eggs with a spash of water and then pour over the veggies.  Let everything set for about 20 to 30 seconds, and then gently start folding the eggs through the veggies, but be careful not to stir too well.  You want the veggies to remain distinct.  The eggs should be set but still soft.  Remove from the heat, the eggs will continue cooking in the residual heat.  Unless of course you like your eggs on the firmer side, then leave on the heat just a little longer.  Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil. Scatter with fresh chopped herbs, I like dill, but parsley works great too. Serve immediately. 

Serving Suggestions

You will often see this dish as part of a savoury spread on a Turkish table.  Sliced veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes etc.  Cheeses, olives, even spiced roasted chick peas would be great on the table.  And of course, simit, bagels or crusty bread.  Using a toasted bagel to scoop up some of the eggs, or spreading the mixture on fluffy bread is the way I usually eat it.  And of course, if you make your Menemen or Turkish Scrambled Eggs more saucy than eggy, then that bread is the perfect way to clean out the skillet!

As I mentioned above, have the onions, peppers and tomatoes diced up and stored separately in containers in the fridge make for an easy morning when you want to make this dish.  Start the coffee before you start the eggs, because once the eggs go into the pan, this dish is ready in moments.  If you make this as part of an easy dinner, a side of fried potatoes or a green salad makes for a complete meal!

Egg  Cleaning Hack

While you’re at it, and you’ve just scooped out all the Menemen from the pan, don’t put that pan into the sink to soak.  There is a much easier way to clean your egg-crusted pan.  Just pour enough water into the pan to cover all the cooked on egg and veggies. Set the pan over medium-high heat.  In no time the bubbling water will help loosen anything crusted on that seemed impossible to remove from the interior of the pan.  Think of it as deglazing the pan, but for cleaning, not for getting more flavour for the next part of a recipe.  Seriously, the egg will practically float away, or easily slip off with the help of a wooden spoon.

Using this method will save you elbow grease, as well as protect the interior of all your skillets and pans.  Leaving a pan to sit in the sink with water really does nothing.  You will end up scrubbing so hard, that some damage to the finish of the pan, as well as your srubbie will be the result!  Below, the final result is not doctored or helped along in any way, this is exactly how the panned cleaned up using this method.

Other Egg Dishes to Try

Pizza Baked Eggs with Marinara Sauce, Toasted Western Sheet Pan Sandwiches, Euro Potato Rösti and Bacon Scrambled Eggs, Griddled Asparagus Piperade with Poached Eggs and Grits, Classic Egg Salad Sandwich with Pickle

If you make this Turkish Scrambled Eggs, aka Menemen, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and I always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, and you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.