Brik à l'Œuf (Egg Brik)
A thin sheet of malsouka (brik pastry) filled with a raw egg, tuna, capers and parsley, folded into a triangle or half-moon and fried until golden, the yolk remaining runny at the center.
A thin sheet of malsouka (brik pastry) filled with a raw egg, tuna, capers and parsley, folded into a triangle or half-moon and fried until golden, the yolk remaining runny at the center.
Ah, brik! There's an art to eating it without getting stained — we say that whoever succeeds will make a good marriage. You place the egg right in the center of the sheet, fold quickly, and slide it into hot oil just long enough for it to turn golden, no longer, otherwise the yolk hardens and all is lost. As a child, I would hover around my mother's fryer waiting for the first one, burning hot, passed from hand to hand. It's simple, it's poor, and yet there is nothing more Tunisian.
- •Malsouka (brik) sheet — one per brik (crispy wrapper)
- •Egg — one per brik (runny heart)
- •Canned tuna in oil — a little (filling)
- •Capers — a few (acidity)
- •Flat-leaf parsley — a handful (freshness)
- •Frying oil — a bath (cooking)
Brik à l'Œuf (Egg Brik)
A thin sheet of malsouka (brik pastry) filled with a raw egg, tuna, capers and parsley, folded into a triangle or half-moon and fried until golden, the yolk remaining runny at the center.
Why this dish? Brik à l'œuf is THE quintessential Tunisian snack, sold at stalls, served at the start of festive meals and during Ramadan. For a child of Tunis like Amina, it is the taste of hot crispiness eaten standing up, the challenge of biting without letting the yolk run.
Ah, brik! There's an art to eating it without getting stained — we say that whoever succeeds will make a good marriage. You place the egg right in the center of the sheet, fold quickly, and slide it into hot oil just long enough for it to turn golden, no longer, otherwise the yolk hardens and all is lost. As a child, I would hover around my mother's fryer waiting for the first one, burning hot, passed from hand to hand. It's simple, it's poor, and yet there is nothing more Tunisian.
Ingredients (period version)
- Malsouka (brik) sheet — one per brik (crispy wrapper)
- Egg — one per brik (runny heart)
- Canned tuna in oil — a little (filling)
- Capers — a few (acidity)
- Flat-leaf parsley — a handful (freshness)
- Frying oil — a bath (cooking)
Ingredients
- Brik sheets — 4 (wrapper)
- Eggs — 4 (runny heart)
- Drained canned tuna in oil — 100 g (filling)
- Capers — 1 tbsp (acidity)
- Chopped flat-leaf parsley — 3 tbsp (freshness)
- Mashed potato (optional) — 1 small (binder)
- Neutral frying oil — 1 bath (cooking)
- Lemon — 1 (serving)
Method
- Mix flaked tuna, capers, parsley and optionally a little mashed potato for a less runny base.
- Lay out a brik sheet, place the filling in a half-moon shape and crack an egg in the center.
- Fold the sheet into a triangle or half-moon, sealing the edges well (use a little water or egg white on the edges).
- Gently slide into hot oil (170 °C) and fry for 1 to 2 min, basting, until golden, with the yolk still runny.
- Drain on paper, serve immediately with a lemon wedge and a dab of harissa.
How it was made : Traditionally, malsouka is spread by hand on a hot plate (the brik tajine), a delicate gesture. Brik was an economical and nourishing food, made with egg, tuna, potatoes or brains, and ubiquitous on Ramadan iftar tables.
The contemporary twist : Cut the golden brik in half at the last minute to show the flowing yolk, food-truck photo style, with a brushstroke of harissa on the plate.
Sources : Mohamed Kouki, La cuisine tunisienne d'Ommok Sannafa · Rafram Chaddad, Food of the Jews of Tunisia (and Tunisian Ramadan tradition)
Amina · Charactorium
