Lamb mince menemen (Turkish-style eggs with tomato, green chilli and mince) recipe

Ask any Turkish person what they eat for breakfast each week and they will undoubtedly say they eat menemen at least twice. Once you have tried it, you will see why. Tomatoes, peppers and onions are cooked slowly and then eggs are whisked in and gently scrambled. This version is inspired by kıymalı menemen, a traditional dish made with lamb mince. The meat melts into the eggs, giving masses of extra flavour. With a large coffee, this is the ultimate hangover breakfast... just in case you might be in need.

Cooking Method: fried
Cooking Time: less than 30 minutes
Serves: serves 4
Course: breakfast
Cuisine: Turkish, Middle Eastern
Difficulty: easy

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
6 Turkish green peppers (long green chilli), deseeded and finely sliced
220g lamb mince
3 tomatoes, skinned and
roughly chopped
1 teaspoon Turkish
pepper flakes
1 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
4 eggs
sea salt

Method

1. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and melt the butter. Add the onion and fry for 2 minutes until translucent. Stir in the peppers and lamb mince and fry for 4–5 minutes, or until the meat has browned.

2. Tip in the tomatoes, Turkish pepper flakes, black pepper, cumin and a good pinch of salt. Mix together thoroughly. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–7 minutes, or until the tomatoes have broken down.

3. Push the back of a spoon into the mix to make four wells and crack in the eggs. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 6–7 minutes, or until the eggs are just set. Serve immediately with loads of bread and Turkish çay tea.

Image and recipe courtesy of Turkish Delights by John Gregory-Smith