Menemen: Turkish eggs with tomato and green pepper

Tomato, pepper and eggs cooked just right

Menemen is all about a short list of ingredients and knowing when to stop cooking. The tomatoes make a juicy base; green pepper adds a fresh, mildly spicy flavor. Eggs make the dish more substantial, but should stay soft. Served with bread, it makes a complete meal for two, suitable for breakfast or lunch, but also as an informal main course.

For the best flavor, use ripe, tasty tomatoes. In the Netherlands, tomatoes are at their best in summer; outside the season, you can use ripe plum tomatoes or canned tomatoes. If using canned, choose whole peeled tomatoes and break them into pieces as they cook. They are generally juicier than fresh tomatoes out of season, so give the liquid time to cook down. Green pepper is traditionally an important part of the flavor profile. Use a mild green pointed pepper if you want very little heat, or a hotter green pepper if you want more kick.

The pan should not be so hot that the tomatoes fry quickly or the eggs develop brown edges. Over medium-low heat, the tomatoes can release their liquid and then gently cook down into a chunky, spoonable sauce. This reduction is important: if the base is still too watery when you add the eggs, the whole dish will be runny. Olive oil adds a fruity flavor; butter works too, but has a different, rounder flavor. This recipe uses olive oil and leaves out onion, so the tomato and pepper come through clearly.

Only stir the eggs into the reduced tomatoes when you’re ready to serve. Take the pan off the heat while they’re still glossy and softly set in places: the residual heat will cook them further. Keep stirring gently and scrape across the bottom of the pan, too, so soft curds form instead of a dry omelet. A wide skillet helps the tomatoes cook down evenly and makes it easier to stir the eggs gently.

Put the pan straight on the table with fresh bread, such as pide, sourdough or a sturdy white loaf. A cucumber and tomato salad goes well on the side, but extra toppings aren’t needed to make the dish complete. If you make more than you’ll eat right away, cool the leftovers promptly and store them covered in the refrigerator; eat them within two days. Reheat them gently in a pan and stop as soon as everything is piping hot. The eggs will become firmer when reheated, so menemen is best eaten fresh while its texture is still soft.