Menemen, a typical Turkish protein breakfast.
The Menemen is a salty, protein-rich and vegetable-rich dish that is eaten for breakfast. The menemen is a true institution of Turkish cuisine, because for many it represents the first meal of the day. It consists of a full-bodied soup made from eggs, tomatoes and onions. As the list of ingredients suggests it is really substantial, nevertheless it expresses a rare delicacy for this type of preparation. The menemen, although salty, expresses profound differences compared to the equally substantial Anglo-Saxon breakfasts. The latter, in fact, rarely offer creamy preparations. The menemen, therefore, provides the opportunity to try something new
Last but not least … don’t forget to drink Şalgam (a drink made from red turnip juice) with it!
How to prepare the menemen?
These are the ingredients to prepare the menemen for 4 people: 4 eggs, 4 sfera tomatoes, 2 long green peppers, 2 shallots, 1 tablespoon of chopped or fresh thyme, q. b. of clarified butter, q. b. salt and black pepper (or Timut pepper for those intolerant to nickel).
Preparation of the menemen
To prepare the menemen, wash and peel the tomatoes, then cut them in the upper part and blanch them for a few minutes. Finally, drain them, let them cool, peel them and cut them into cubes. Now peel the shallots and slice them finely. Wash and peel the peppers, open them in half and cut them into rings. Then beat the eggs in a bowl, salt and pepper everything. For those intolerant to nickel, omit the pepper.
In a pan, melt the butter and fry the onion for a few minutes before adding the tomatoes and peppers. Finally, let it cook for about 15 minutes before adding the eggs. Now mix with a wooden spoon to scramble the eggs well and when ready, serve with the addition of the chopped thyme.
