Name: Tunisian Brik
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Tunisian
Ingredients: 4 sheets malsouka or brik pastry, or spring roll wrappers; 4 eggs; 200 g tinned tuna in oil, drained and flaked; 1 small onion, very finely chopped; 2 tbsp capers, chopped; 1 large handful of parsley, chopped; 1 boiled potato, mashed, optional; 1 tbsp harissa; ½ tsp ground caraway; ½ tsp fine sea salt; Black pepper; 500 ml neutral oil, for frying; Lemon wedges, to serve

Tunisian Brik

A sheet of malsouka pastry folded around tuna, capers, parsley and a whole raw egg, then deep fried so the yolk is still liquid when you bite in.

30 min total Serves 4 servings Easy

The whole point is the runny yolk, which means the brik goes into hot oil the moment the egg is in and comes out in ninety seconds — long enough for the pastry to crisp, not long enough for the yolk to set. Making a small well of filling for the egg to sit in stops it sliding to the edge and leaking during the fold.

Tunisian Brik, in preparation
Photograph credit: Tunisian Briks by Souad Anane Lesina · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence

The Method for Tunisian Brik

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Mix the tuna, onion, capers, parsley, mashed potato if using, harissa, caraway, salt and pepper.
Heat the oil to 180°C / 355°F in a wide, shallow pan. Have a slotted spoon ready before you start.
Lay one pastry sheet on a plate. Spoon a quarter of the filling onto one half, and shape it into a ring with a well in the middle.
Crack an egg into the well. Work quickly from here.
Fold the pastry over into a half moon or triangle and press the edges together firmly.
Slide it straight into the hot oil, using the plate to help it in.
Fry 45 seconds, spooning hot oil over the top, then turn carefully and fry 40 seconds more.
Lift out when golden and crisp and drain briefly on a rack.
Serve immediately with lemon, and eat it by biting a corner and drinking the yolk.

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A Few Pointers

Ninety seconds total. Any longer and the yolk sets and the point is lost.
Build a well of filling for the egg to sit in.
Have the oil at temperature before you crack the egg, not after.

Pairs Well With

Lemon wedges and harissa · A Tunisian salad · Mint tea

Keeping and Reheating

Eat immediately. The filling keeps 2 days refrigerated.

Tunisian Brik Nutrition Facts

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

No Added Sugar