Tunisian Brik A La Mer
Brik (pronounced “breek”), a fascinating snack, is all the rage in Tunisia and has been for decades. A thin wrapper, called Malsouka, is filled with a tuna/onion filling, then a whole egg added, the wrapper folded in half over the filling and fried to a crispy golden brown. A squirt of lemon is the perfect “perk it up” accompaniment.
Briks a la mer (Briks of the Sea)
8 malsouka (or Lumpia wrappers, available at oriental markets)
1 can tuna, drained and chunks broken up how many ounces
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ cup parsley, minced
½ cup finely chopped onion
salt and pepper
8 eggs
oil for frying
1 lemon cut into wedges
-Separate wrappers. Keep them covered with a cloth until ready to use. Combine 1 tablespoon oil, parsley, onion, salt and pepper to taste in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-high heat until vegetables are softened. Stir in tuna. Set aside.
-Pour oil into a large frying pan, about 1/2 inch deep. Heat oil over medium high heat till shimmering - about 3 minutes.
-Have your work surface set up with separated wrappers, tuna filling, eggs, a small dish and fork and 3 or 4 stacked paper towels for draining. Crack an egg into the small dish then break the yoke and give it a quick stir. Season with salt and pepper.
-Take a wrapper and lay it flat on your work surface. Place 2 tablespoons tuna mixture in the center. Crack an egg into the small dish then break the yoke and give it a quick stir. Season with salt and pepper. Carefully lay the wrapper down in the hot oil, holding one edge up out of the oil, with the filling facing up. Carefully pour the egg over the center of the filling then lower the held half over the filling to create a half moon shape.
-Cook over medium heat until slightly browned, then with a flat spatula, flip brik over to the other side and continue to cook until crispy and slightly browned. Move to paper towels to drain off the excess oil. Continue with each of the wrappers until the filling is gone. If you can maneuver the first brik and slide it over in the pan, you can fit another one in the same pan at the same time, spine to spine. (If you prefer the egg cooked through, cook at a lower temperature by turning the heat down to medium.)
-Serve immediately with lemon wedges. Makes 8
Mix tuna with chopped onion, lots of parsley, salt and pepper. Place a big spoonful of filling in the center of the Brik wrapper.
Place half of the wrapper in ½ inch hot oil while holding the other edge up out of the oil.
Crack a whole egg and pour it into the wrapper on top of the tuna filling.
Fold the wrapper over the filling creating a half moon, then fry on each side until lightly browned and crispy. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
Arrange briks standing upright, supported by cut lemons and garnished with parsley, if you want to make the presentation a bit fancy.
The crispy wrapper crunches delightfully with every bite.
For a casual lunch or dinner, or just a snack, this is a great recipe, in the North African tradition!
Don’t forget to squirt on a bit of lemon for a bit of a zing!
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
*Tunisian briks are very popular with the “malsouka” wrappers stacked high in every store. There are other filings used in brik but this is the most traditional. Other fillings include shredded chicken with Swiss cheese, cheese and egg on their own.
*Briks in Tunis most often contain a runny egg so if you prefer a runny or soft yolk, do not break up the egg but crack the egg right onto the filling. Then cook at medium-high just until the pastry is lightly browned so that the yolk stays runny. Our family prefers the egg cooked through so we break the yolk and cook the brik a bit longer, to ensure that the yolk is cooked.
*Malsouka wrappers are very hard to find in the states. I have seen them only once outside of Tunisia, in Quebec City and bought several packages. But the Filipino Lumpia wrappers are very similar and can be found in the freezer sections of most Asian markets or world markets. Phyllo does not work as well for briks and though also good, does not represent the authentic brik texture as well as Lumpia wrappers do.. Malsouka is more pourous than phyllo pastry, is more flexible and shapes more easily than phyllo.
