Tunisian Fricassé (Fried Mini Sandwich with Tuna and Harissa)

About This Recipe

Tunisian Fricassé is a real, traditional Tunisian dish, known as Fried Mini Sandwich with Tuna and Harissa. A small, deep-fried yeasted bun stuffed with tuna, harissa, olives and boiled potato, a beloved Tunisian street snack.\n\nFricassé is a distinctly Tunisian street food, its fried bread pocket filled with a punchy combination of tuna, harissa and olives reflecting the country's love of bold, spicy flavors packed into a portable, affordable snack.\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.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 300 gall-purpose flour
• 7 ginstant yeast
• 1 tspsugar
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 180 mlwarm water
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 500 mlneutral oil(for frying)
• 200 gcanned tuna(drained)
• 2 tbspharissa paste
• 1potato(boiled and sliced)
• 10black olives
• 2 tbspcapers
• 1tomato(sliced)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour, yeast, sugar and salt, then stir in warm water and olive oil until a soft dough forms. Knead for 6 minutes.

2. 2

   Rise

   Cover and let rise for 45 minutes until doubled.

3. 3

   Shape and fry

   Divide the dough into small oval rolls, and fry in oil heated to 175°C (350°F) for about 3 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through.

4. 4

   Cool slightly

   Let the fried buns cool enough to handle, then slice each open like a pocket.

5. 5

   Fill

   Spread harissa inside each pocket, then fill with tuna, sliced boiled potato, olives, capers and sliced tomato.

6. 6

   Serve

   Press gently closed and serve immediately while the bread is still warm.

Variations

• •

  Add a hard-boiled egg slice to the filling for extra heartiness.

• •

  Some vendors add a spicy pickled vegetable relish (in Tunisian, 'salade méchouia' style) inside as well.

• •

  Use grilled chicken instead of tuna for a different protein option.

Storage

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.

Frequently Asked Questions