Tunisian Brik with Egg and Tuna

About This Recipe

Brik is one of Tunisia's most distinctive dishes, a sheet of paper-thin malsouka or warka pastry folded into a triangle around a filling of tuna, capers, parsley and a whole raw egg, then fried quickly in hot oil until the exterior turns deeply golden and shatteringly crisp while the egg inside stays soft and runny. Eating brik without breaking the yolk and letting it run everywhere is considered something of a skill, part of the dish's charm and challenge. The technique that matters most is working quickly once the egg is added to the filling — the pastry needs to be folded and fried immediately, since a raw egg sitting in the delicate wrapper for too long can seep through and make the pastry difficult to seal and fry properly. Frying at the right oil temperature crisps the exterior fast enough that the egg inside stays soft rather than turning to a hard-cooked state. A fixture of Tunisian iftar during Ramadan and a beloved everyday street food and home dish otherwise, brik reflects the country's love of contrasting textures — impossibly crisp pastry against a soft, runny egg center.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 sheetsmalsouka or spring roll pastry
• 150 gcanned tuna(drained)
• 2 tbspcapers(chopped)
• 3 tbspfresh parsley(chopped)
• 0.25onion(finely diced)
• 0.5 tspharissa
• 0.5 tspfine sea salt
• 4eggs
• 2 cupsneutral oil(for frying)
• 1lemon(for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the filling

   Combine tuna, capers, parsley, onion, harissa and salt.

2. 2

   Prepare the pastry

   Lay one sheet of malsouka flat. Spoon a portion of the tuna mixture onto one half, leaving space for the egg.

3. 3

   Add the egg

   Make a small well in the tuna mixture and crack an egg directly into it, keeping the yolk intact.

4. 4

   Fold quickly

   Fold the pastry over into a triangle or half-moon shape, sealing the edges immediately.

   Work quickly once the egg is added — a raw egg sitting too long in the delicate wrapper can seep through before frying.

5. 5

   Fry immediately

   Heat oil to 180°C (350°F). Carefully slide the filled pastry into the hot oil and fry 1-2 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon, while the egg inside is still soft and runny.

Variations

• •

  Add a small amount of pre-cooked, mashed potato to the filling for a heartier version.

• •

  Use ground meat instead of tuna for a different, equally traditional filling.

• •

  Serve with a side of harissa for extra heat.

Storage

Brik must be eaten immediately after frying — it does not hold up or reheat well, as the pastry loses its crispness and the egg overcooks.

Frequently Asked Questions