Recipes

Menemen: Turkish Egg Dish

This traditional Turkish dish often features scrambled eggs. Here we are featuring eggs that are gently poached in the vegetable-loaded tomato sauce.

Serves:
6
Prep Time:
15 min
Cook Time:
30 min

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp ( 45 mL ) olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 green pepper, sliced
  • ½ red chili pepper, sliced into rings (optional)
  • 1 can (28 oz/796 mL) diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp ( 30 mL ) tomato paste
  • 1 tsp ( 5 mL ) each dried oregano and hot or sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp ( 2.5 mL ) salt, divided
  • ¼ tsp ( 1.25 mL ) freshly ground pepper
  • 6 eggs
  • ¼ cup ( 60 mL ) chopped parsley
  • Whole wheat toast (optional)

Yogurt Sauce

  • ½ cup ( 125 mL ) plain yogurt
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced
  • Pinch each salt, freshly ground pepper and hot pepper flakes

Instructions

Yogurt Sauce

  1. Stir yogurt with garlic, salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. Heat oil in a 10 inch (25 cm) skillet set over medium heat.
  3. Add garlic, onion, green pepper and chili pepper rings. Cook, stirring until softened, 3 or 4 minutes.
  4. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, paprika, half the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until thickened, 18 to 20 minutes.
  5. Preheat broiler to high, position the rack 6 inches from the heat source.
  6. Make 6 divots in the sauce mixture; crack an egg into each divot. Sprinkle with remaining salt. Cook until egg whites start to set, 3 to 5 minutes.
  7. Broil until eggs are soft cooked or cooked until desired doneness is achieved, 1 to 2 minutes.
  8. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with Yogurt Sauce and toast, if desired.