Ultra-thin malsouka pastry folded around tuna, capers and a whole raw egg, fried until crackling crisp with a still-runny yolk inside.
Tunisian Brik is a real, traditional Tunisian dish, known as Crispy Fried Egg and Tuna Pastry. Ultra-thin malsouka pastry folded around tuna, capers and a whole raw egg, fried until crackling crisp with a still-runny yolk inside.\n\nBrik is one of Tunisia's most iconic dishes, made with malsouka pastry, a paper-thin dough similar to phyllo, and it's traditionally eaten during Ramadan to break the fast, requiring careful technique to keep the egg yolk intact and runny.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Tunisian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.
Serves 4
Mix tuna, diced onion, capers, parsley, salt and pepper together.
Lay one sheet of malsouka flat and place a spoonful of the tuna mixture in the center-lower half.
Make a small well in the tuna mixture and crack a raw egg directly into it.
Fold the pastry over into a half-moon or triangle shape, sealing the edges quickly before the egg runs, working fast.
Carefully lower the folded brik into hot oil at 180°C (350°F) and fry for about 1.5 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp.
Drain briefly and serve immediately with lemon wedges, before the yolk fully sets from residual heat.
Work quickly once the raw egg is added — the whole point of brik is to fold, seal and fry fast enough that the yolk stays runny inside the crisp shell.
Fry at a steady, hot temperature so the exterior crisps quickly without overcooking the egg inside.
Serve immediately; brik loses its crispness and the yolk continues to set the longer it sits.
A version with minced lamb instead of tuna is another traditional filling.
Some households add a few capers or olives directly into the filling for extra brininess.
A simpler potato and egg version, without tuna, is common in home cooking.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.
Brik is one of Tunisia's most iconic dishes, made with malsouka pastry, a paper-thin dough similar to phyllo, and it's traditionally eaten during Ramadan to break the fast, requiring careful technique to keep the egg yolk intact and runny.
North African or Middle Eastern grocery stores sometimes carry it; spring roll or lumpia wrappers are the closest widely available substitute, though slightly different in texture.
This takes practice — work on a flat surface, fold quickly and confidently, and consider adding the egg slightly off-center to give yourself more folding room.
No, brik must be fried and eaten immediately for the signature crisp shell and runny yolk; they don't hold or reheat well.
Per serving (180g / 6.3 oz) · 4 servings total
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