Sharon + Joe’s Turkish Breakfast

Submitted by: JOE PARKS and SHARON THOMAS-PARKS

For the past twenty years this dish has been our family’s Christmas morning tradition. After spending our honeymoon in Turkey, we returned home with, no surprise, a passion for Turkish cuisine.

Eggs cooked in peppers and tomatoes that create a thickened sauce, known as menemen, is a popular snack at bus stops in Turkey, which are everywhere in the massive country. This recipe comes from “The Ottoman Kitchen” cookbook by Sarah Woodward and the photograph is by Jan Baldwin. We’ve adapted it over time. Feel free to modify it so that it suits your taste.

TURKISH BREAKFAST

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• ¼ Cup olive oil

• 1 very large or 2 medium onion diced

• 6-8 small Turkish green peppers or 6 medium Anaheim peppers - seeded and cut into long thin strips

• 4 large green bell peppers or a mix - seeded and cut into long, thin strips

• 10 Roma tomatoes - peeled and seeded (optional) diced
  Salt

• ¾ Cup fresh parsley. leaves finely chopped

• 8 Eggs

• 2 Teaspoons paprika

• 2 – 3 Ounces feta cheese

• Red pepper flakes

• Flatbread
  

Instructions:

Add olive oil and onion in a large skillet and cook on low heat until tender and just beginning to brown. Add the peppers, tomatoes, salt, and parsley. Cook on low stirring a few times until peppers are tender and the tomatoes break down and have created a thick sauce.

Just before serving increase the heat to medium. Make 8 small depressions in the surface of the sauce and carefully break an egg into each. Cover and leave to cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the eggs set to your preference of doneness.

Separate into 4 rimmed soup bowls and sprinkle each with paprika and red pepper flakes to taste over the eggs, crumble feta over the top and serve immediately. Serve with warmed flatbread to dip in egg yolks and pepper tomato sauce.