Menemen with Goat Cheese and Fresh Parsley Recipe
This is a breakfast menemen where delicate eggs meet creamy goat cheese and plenty of fresh parsley. In Turkish homes, this kind of breakfast often stretches into late morning, because everyone keeps dipping bread into the sauce and no one is in a hurry. The flavor is a bit like an Italian vegetable frittata, but juicier and served straight from the pan.
Menemen is a classic Turkish breakfast dish that combines softly set eggs with a juicy vegetable sauce. This version is enriched with creamy goat cheese and lots of fresh parsley, making it aromatic, satisfying, and perfect for long, lazy mornings.
Chef's tips
Don’t overbeat the eggs—this keeps the texture soft and creamy rather than dry. Keep the heat on the lower side once the eggs go in; menemen should be gently set, not browned. If your tomatoes are very watery, cook the sauce a bit longer before adding the eggs so the flavors concentrate.
How to serve
Serve in the center of the table so everyone can scoop directly from the pan. Offer plenty of fresh bread for dipping, plus simple sides like sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and a small plate of cheese. It also works well as a light lunch with a green salad.
Ingredients
- eggs - 4 pieces
- tomato medium, ripe - 2 pieces
- bell pepper green or red - 1 piece
- onion small - 0.5 pieces
- goat cheese soft, for crumbling - 60 g
- parsley chopped leaves - 3 tablespoons
- olive oil - 2 tablespoons
- butter - 10 g
- salt to taste
- black pepper freshly ground, to taste
- sweet paprika ground - 0.5 teaspoons
Preparation
- Score the tomato skins with a cross, pour boiling water over them for 1 minute, rinse with cold water, peel and cut into small cubes, removing the hard cores.
- Remove the seeds from the pepper and cut it into thin strips, finely dice the onion, and roughly chop the parsley leaves.
- In a medium pan, heat the olive oil with the butter over medium heat, add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until it softens and turns slightly translucent but not browned.
- Add the pepper and fry for another 4–5 minutes, until it softens and the edges start to brown lightly.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and sweet paprika, stir, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 4–5 minutes, until the tomatoes release their juices and a thicker sauce forms.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and lightly beat with a fork just until the whites and yolks are combined.
- Pour the eggs into the pan with the vegetables and gently stir from the edges toward the center for 1–2 minutes, until they begin to set but are still slightly runny.
- Sprinkle the top with crumbled goat cheese and half of the parsley, cover the pan with a lid and cook over very low heat for another 2–3 minutes, until the cheese softens slightly and the eggs are set but still moist.
- Remove from the heat, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and freshly ground pepper, and serve immediately with pieces of fresh bread for dipping into the sauce.
Storage
Najlepiej smakuje od razu po przygotowaniu; po schłodzeniu można podgrzać na patelni na małym ogniu pod przykryciem, dodając odrobinę masła lub wody, ale jajka będą bardziej ścięte.
