Tunisian Egg Briks Recipes

TUNISIAN BRIK-STYLE EGGS

Steps:

• To prepare harissa, place caraway and cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium-high heat; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Place seed mixture, ancho chile pepper, and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a blender; process until smooth.
• To prepare brik, place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain.
• Preheat oven to 450°.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add potatoes, turmeric, salt, and ground red pepper (if desired); sauté 6 minutes or until edges are crisp. Add parsley and green onions; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes.
• Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a large cutting board or work surface (cover remaining phyllo to prevent drying); coat phyllo with cooking spray. Fold sheet in half like a book. Coat bottom third of phyllo with cooking spray (narrow end should be facing you). Fold bottom third up. Arrange 1/4 of the potatoes in a circle in center of the bottom (folded) third of the phyllo, creating a nest for the egg. Crack 1 egg into center of potatoes. Sprinkle 1/4 of feta over egg. Sprinkle with black pepper. Fold top third of phyllo over egg, potatoes, and cheese, folding in sides to form a packet.
• Place packet on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining phyllo, potatoes, eggs, cheese, and black pepper.
• Combine egg white and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Brush phyllo packets with egg white mixture. Bake at 450° for 9 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
• Spoon harissa evenly over brik, and sprinkle with cilantro.

TUNISIAN EGG BRIKS

Steps:

• Directions are given per brik.
• Place the phyllo sheet on a work surface. Phyllo is rectangular. Either cut it to make a square, or fold the phyllo so you work with a single layer sheet.
• Using only the top half of the phyllo sheet, spoon 1 tablespoonful of tuna onto the phyllo. Sprinkle 1/4 the amount of parmesan onto the tuna. (If using mashed potato, put 1/4 of the mashed potato onto the tuna and parmesan.) Dot 1 teaspoon of harissa around the mixture. Sprinkle on 1 tablespoon or less of parsley. Make sort of an open circle with the mixture.
• Now, crack open an egg, and drop it on this mixture in a way that the mixture won't let the egg white run out easily. The mixture should surround the egg.
• Fold the bottom half of the phyllo sheet over the top half. This will cover the whole mixture. Seal the edges with egg white as you make the fold. If you have excess pastry per brik, just fold the excess in towards the center of the brik; it will resemble an envelope.
• Slip this brik into hot oil. Fry 30 seconds on one side, or until the phyllo is a golden brown color. Turn it, and fry the other side, also 30 seconds, or until the color is golden brown.
• Continue with the other briks.
• Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze into every bite, salad and tomato.

TUNISIAN TUNA-AND-EGG TURNOVER

Steps:

• Mash together tuna, scallions, parsley, capers, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl until tuna is broken up and mixture is combined well.
• Stir together egg white and water in a cup with a fork.
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 200°F.
• Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet until it registers 350°F on thermometer.
• While vegetable oil is heating, arrange 2 spring-roll wrappers on a work surface and brush centers lightly with olive oil (do not oil edges). Leaving a 1-inch border all around, put 2 tablespoons tuna mixture near lower right corner of 1 wrapper and form mixture into a ring (about 1/2 inch high and 3 inches in diameter) to contain egg.
• Repeat procedure with other wrapper. Brush edges of both wrappers with egg white mixture (use separate brushes for oil and for egg white), then break an egg inside each "ring" and season eggs lightly with salt and pepper. Fold top left corner of each wrapper over egg to form a triangle and press edges together to seal.
• Immediately lift 1 brik gently by tip of triangle and lower into oil, keeping long side of triangle in center of skillet. Repeat with second brik and fry briks, lapping oil over exposed wrappers with a metal spatula, until undersides are golden, about 1 minute. Flip each brik over sideways with aid of 2 metal spatulas, so long side of each triangle stays in center, then continue to fry, lapping exposed wrapper with oil, until wrapper is golden and egg is cooked but yolk is still runny, about 1 minute more. Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly, then put on a baking sheet and keep warm in oven while making remaining briks.
• Make more briks in same manner (using a second baking sheet for keeping last batches warm). Return oil to 350°F between batches.
• Serve briks warm.

TUNISIAN BRIK

Steps:

• Place potato in salted water to cover, bring to a boil and cook until tender. Drain, and mash with olive oil.
• Heat 2 cups of grapeseed or canola oil in deep 10-inch skillet to 350 degrees.
• Place spring-roll wrapper on saucer. Place 3 tablespoons of mashed potatoes in middle, flattening the center to make a well. Dab it with 1/4 teaspoon harissa if desired. Sprinkle with some capers and parsley.
• Break an egg into the center. Taking care so that none of the egg seeps out, fold over one point of the spring-roll wrapper to meet the opposite point, to make a triangle.
• Gently slip the filled brik off the saucer and into the hot oil. Cook a minute or so, until golden on the underside, turn over and cook about another minute. Remove from the oil with a spatula, and drain briefly on absorbent paper. Prepare the remaining briks, fry them and serve while still hot, with lemon wedges.

TUNISIAN BRIKS (BREK)

Steps:

• To prepare the filling:
• 1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and cool.
• 2. Add the tuna, capers, cheese, and parsley to the onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Set aside.
• To assemble:
• 1. In a wide, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat, add enough oil to come up the sides of the pan about 1 1/2 inches. Heat the oil to 350°F for frying.
• 2. Quickly spread the egg roll wrappers out on a work surface and brush the edges with the egg white. Place a rounded spoonful of filling (2 to 3 tablespoons) just off center on each wrapper. Using a spoon, press a well into the center of the filling. Break an egg over each portion of filling, catching it in the well.
• 3. Carefully fold each egg roll over to form a triangle, keeping the egg inside its well. Press the edges together to seal closed. For a sturdier pocket, fold each rim over itself by about a 1/2 inch and press to seal.
• 4. Working in batches, gently slide the briks into the hot oil. Spoon hot oil over any dough that may not be submerged. Fry, turning gently as needed, until the briks are golden brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the cooked briks on a cooling rack set over a sheet pan while the others finish cooking. Serve warm with wedges of lemon.