Turkish Menemen Egg and Pepper Bake with Sucuk

Name: Turkish Menemen Egg and Pepper Bake with Sucuk
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 38 min
Total time: 53 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 4 oz (115 g) sucuk (Turkish beef sausage), casing removed if tough, sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, then slices halved; 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter; 2 medium (about 9 oz) (250 g) green peppers (Turkish sivri, Anaheim or Cubanelle), stemmed, seeded and cut into ½-inch (12 mm) dice; 2 cloves (8 g) garlic cloves, minced; 1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste; 1 tsp (2 g) Aleppo pepper (pul biber), plus more for serving; 3 medium (about 1 lb) (450 g) ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into ½-inch (12 mm) dice, juices kept; 8 large (400 g) large eggs, cracked into a bowl and whisked until streak-free; ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, added to the eggs, plus more to taste; freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 8 oz (225 g) crusty bread or simit, sliced or torn, for serving

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Spicy sucuk, sweet green peppers and jammy tomatoes are simmered in one skillet, then topped with eggs and baked until just set. Serve it straight from the pan with plenty of bread for scooping.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 38 min
Wait: 3 min
Total: 56 min
Makes: 1 10-inch skillet bake (4 generous servings)

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Ingredients

4 servings

4 oz (115 g) sucuk (Turkish beef sausage), casing removed if tough, sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, then slices halved
2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
2 medium (about 9 oz) (250 g) green peppers (Turkish sivri, Anaheim or Cubanelle), stemmed, seeded and cut into ½-inch (12 mm) dice
2 cloves (8 g) garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste
1 tsp (2 g) Aleppo pepper (pul biber), plus more for serving
3 medium (about 1 lb) (450 g) ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into ½-inch (12 mm) dice, juices kept
8 large (400 g) large eggs, cracked into a bowl and whisked until streak-free
½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, added to the eggs, plus more to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
8 oz (225 g) crusty bread or simit, sliced or torn, for serving

Equipment (7)

10-inch (25 cm) oven-safe skillet with a lid or foil
Cutting board and chef's knife
Medium mixing bowl
Whisk or fork
Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula
Instant-read thermometer
Oven mitts

Steps

Before you start

Position an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) while you chop.
Use a 10-inch (25 cm) skillet that is oven-safe, such as cast iron or stainless steel with a metal handle.
Sucuk and tomato paste are already salty, so hold back on the salt until the eggs go in.
Have the bread, parsley and extra Aleppo pepper ready before baking, because the bake is best served hot.
Keep an instant-read thermometer handy: both the sucuk and the eggs should reach 160°F (71°C).

1
Preheat and prepOven 375°F / 190°C
- Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375°F (190°C).
- Slice and halve the sucuk, dice the peppers and tomatoes, and mince the garlic.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt and a few grinds of black pepper until no streaks of white remain.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: The eggs are uniformly pale yellow with no visible white streaks.
Tip: Keep the tomato juices when dicing. They become the sauce.
2
Render the sucuk
- Place the 10-inch skillet over medium heat and add the sucuk in a single layer, without any oil.
- Cook, turning once, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the slices have released red-tinted fat and the edges are browned and slightly crisp.
- Transfer the sucuk to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan.
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Ready when: Sucuk edges are browned and the pan is coated in red-orange fat.
Tip: Lower the heat if the fat smokes or the sucuk darkens quickly, since scorched sucuk turns bitter.
3
Soften the peppers
- Add the butter to the sucuk fat and let it melt.
- Add the diced green peppers and cook, stirring every minute or so, for 5 to 6 minutes, until they are softened, glossy and lightly blistered in spots.
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Ready when: Peppers are tender when pierced with a spoon edge and the color deepens slightly.
4
Bloom the aromatics
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste and Aleppo pepper.
- Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, until the paste darkens to brick red and the garlic smells fragrant but is not browned.
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Ready when: The paste turns a deeper brick red and smells sweet and spicy.
Tip: If the garlic starts to brown, add the tomatoes right away.
5
Cook down the tomatoes
- Add the diced tomatoes with their juices and a pinch of salt.
- Bring to a gentle bubble, then cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tomatoes have collapsed and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- When you drag a spoon across the pan bottom, the sauce should hold a trail for 2 seconds before closing.
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Ready when: The sauce is thick and jammy, with no pool of watery liquid.
Tip: A watery base makes a soupy, weeping egg bake, so don't cut this step short.
6
Return the sucuk
- Stir about three-quarters of the sucuk back into the pan and taste the sauce.
- Add a little salt only if needed, as the sucuk is already salty.
- Spread the mixture into an even layer, keep the heat at medium-low and warm for about 2 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a few sucuk slices reads at least 160°F (71°C).
- Then reduce the heat to low.
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Ready when: The sauce is bubbling gently and the sucuk slices read at least 160°F (71°C).
Tip: Save the remaining sucuk to scatter on top for crispy bites. It will heat through in the oven.
7
Add the eggs
- Pour the whisked eggs evenly over the hot vegetables.
- Let them sit for 20 seconds, then use a spatula to gently fold the edges toward the center 3 or 4 times, for about 1 minute total, until the eggs begin to form soft, loose curds but are still very wet.
- Scatter the reserved sucuk on top.
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Ready when: Bottom and edges are barely set in soft curds while the center is still liquid.
Tip: Don't scramble fully. The oven finishes the cooking, and overcooked eggs turn rubbery.
8
Bake until setOven 375°F / 190°C
- Carefully transfer the skillet to the 375°F (190°C) oven.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the eggs are puffed slightly at the edges and the center no longer jiggles or looks wet when you gently shake the pan.
- An instant-read thermometer in the center should read 160°F (71°C), and the sucuk on top should be sizzling hot.
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Ready when: The center is set and no raw egg moves when the pan is shaken; the thermometer reads 160°F (71°C).
Tip: The skillet handle will be extremely hot. Drape a towel or oven mitt over it after removing the pan.
9
Rest and serve
- Remove the skillet from the oven and let it rest for 3 minutes so the eggs finish setting and the bubbling subsides.
- Sprinkle with the parsley and a pinch more Aleppo pepper.
- Serve straight from the skillet with the bread alongside for scooping.
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Ready when: Edges pull slightly from the pan and the surface is no longer glossy-wet.

Good to know

Tips

Use ripe, flavorful tomatoes. In winter, substitute one 14-oz (400 g) can of diced tomatoes, drained well, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes.
Cook the tomato base until it is jammy. Excess liquid is the most common reason for a watery bake.
Pull the pan from the oven when the center is just set. It keeps cooking from residual heat as it rests.
For a creamier bake, crumble 2 oz (55 g) of feta over the eggs just before baking.

Make ahead

Cook the sucuk, pepper and tomato base through step 5 up to 2 days ahead, keeping the sucuk separate, and refrigerate in airtight containers. Reheat the base in the skillet over medium-low heat until steaming, then continue with step 6.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 1 hour after baking. Fridge: cover tightly and keep up to 3 days. Freezer: not recommended, as the eggs turn watery and spongy. Reheat individual portions in a covered skillet over low heat or in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10 minutes, until hot throughout (165°F/74°C).

Substitutions

sucuk (Turkish beef sausage) → Spanish chorizo (dry-cured) or spicy beef sausage. Add ½ tsp ground cumin and a pinch of garlic powder to approximate sucuk's flavor. Raw fresh sausage must be fully cooked to 160°F (71°C) before the eggs go in.
Aleppo pepper (pul biber) → ½ tsp sweet paprika plus ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes. Aleppo is mild and fruity, so this blend gets close in heat and color.
green peppers (Turkish sivri, Anaheim or Cubanelle) → Green bell pepper plus 1 diced jalapeño for heat. Bell pepper is sweeter and slightly firmer, so cook it 1 to 2 minutes longer.
unsalted butter → Olive oil. Use the same amount for a dairy-free version with a fruitier flavor.