Showing Tunisian food culture

Recipe: Tunisian Tuna Brik

Recipe and photos courtesy of Embassy of Tunisia in Tokyo.

 

Tuna Brik

 

Ingredients:

  • 10 malsouka (malsouqa) pastry sheets (If none are available, substitute spring roll wraps)
  • 250 g tuna
  • 4 potatoes (mashed potato can also be used)
  • 1 egg per serving
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • 100 g parsley, chopped
  • 100 g cheese, diced
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Oil for deep frying

 

Preparation:

  1. Peel the potatoes, cut into 2-centimetre cubes and boil. When they are soft enough that you can put a skewer through them, dump the water and stir the potatoes until they form a starchy layer on the outside. Cool and stir in the parsley.
  2. Spread a pastry sheet out on a plate. Put some of the potato from step 1 plus a complimentary amount of cheese, capers, salt and pepper in the middle. Crack open an egg and pour it into the centre.
  3. Wet the edges on two sides of the pastry and fold it into a triangle, enveloping the filling. Make sure the edges are sealed, or the egg will leak out.
  4. Heat plenty of oil in a pan and fry the brik on medium heat until it’s golden brown. Turn over and repeat. Remove and drain.

 

Brik tips

  • Make absolutely sure the edges of the pastry are sealed, or the egg will escape – a potentially messy problem.
  • Use olive oil for frying.
  • You can make the egg as hard as you like, but leaving it a bit runny is recommended.
  • There are plenty of homemade variations on this Tunisian classic, including using mashed potato, so feel free to experiment.

 

Edited by: Rika Sakai and Robert Sakai-Irvine

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