Menemen
Region: Turkey
Category: Eggs
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy
Menemen is a small market town off the main highway north of Izmir (Smyrna) that gives its name to this dish of green chiles, tomatoes, and scrambled eggs. It's quite possible that this town is the source for the famous shakhshūkha of North Africa, a hash made of eggs, tomatoes, bell peppers and other vegetables. Shakhshūkha is not an Arabic word, but in fact derives from the Turkish dish made with peppers, onions, and eggs called şakşuka, another name for menemen.
The population of Turkey until recently was rural. Many Turkish families grew their own vegetables and had small chicken coops where poultry was raised for their eggs. This was a popular preparation for lunch, since eggs are not eaten for breakfast in Turkey. Traditionally, meat is not included in the recipe, although I've had it that way in restaurants in Istanbul. Some cooks use only butter, others only olive oil. Being unable to choose, I've used both. One can also slide a fried egg on top of the finished dish or scramble two eggs in a separate pan and then fold them into the peppers and tomatoes.
Yield: Makes 4 appetizer or meze servings
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 long finger-type green chiles, seeded and chopped
1 long green peperoncino chile (Italian long pepper), seeded and chopped
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
5 large eggs
Leaves from 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
1/4 pound jubna baydā' (Syrian white cheese) or hard mozzarella, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil together over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, cook the chiles and tomatoes, covered, until the chiles are tender, about 15 minutes, stirring several times.
2. Beat the eggs together lightly with the parsley. Pour the eggs into the skillet along with the cheese stirred in and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium, stir once or twice, and cook until the eggs set, about 6 minutes. Serve immediately.
Posted: 01/31/2008
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