[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":381},["ShallowReactive",2],{"recipe:tunisian-brik":3,"recipe:country:tunisia":170},{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"pronunciation":7,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"emoji":10,"summary":11,"intro":12,"story":13,"whyThis":14,"tips":19,"substitutions":26,"variations":39,"serveWith":49,"storage":51,"faq":52,"equipment":68,"baseServings":73,"prepMinutes":74,"cookMinutes":75,"difficulty":76,"course":77,"diet":80,"mainIngredients":83,"ingredients":89,"instructions":129,"nutrition":152,"images":157,"keywords":161,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},"tunisian-brik","Brik à l'Oeuf (Tunisian Crisp Pastry with a Runny Egg)","بريك بالبيض","BREEK ah LUHF","tunisia","Tunis","🥚","A sheet of malsouka pastry folded over tuna, capers and parsley with a whole raw egg, fried until blistered so the yolk stays liquid. Eaten with fingers, corner first, or you wear it.","Brik is a single sheet of paper-thin malsouka pastry wrapped around a spoonful of tuna, onion, parsley and capers with a raw egg cracked into the middle, slid into hot oil and fried for barely two minutes. Done right, the shell shatters like glass, the white is just set, and the yolk is still liquid enough to run the moment you bite. There is no cutlery involved and no dignified way to eat it: you pick it up by a corner, tip it, and bite where the yolk is. It is the standard Tunisian starter and the first thing on the table at Ramadan.","The pastry does most of the work. Malsouka — also sold as feuilles de brick — is made by dabbing a very wet semolina dough onto a hot flat plate in overlapping circles, so it dries into a translucent round with a slightly rough side and a smooth side. It is not filo: it contains no layers of fat, it fries rather than bakes, and it crisps in seconds without the brittleness of stacked filo sheets. Tunisian pastry makers turn them out by the thousand, and every supermarket in the country sells them in stacks.\n\nThe name almost certainly travels the same road as börek, the Turkish family of filled pastries that spread across Ottoman territory, and Tunisia was under Ottoman rule for centuries. What Tunisia did with the idea is entirely its own: the whole raw egg. Nowhere else in the börek family is the filling built around an egg that stays runny, and nowhere else is the eating of it a running national joke about stained shirts. Ordering brik in a Tunis restaurant means accepting that you will be watched by anyone who wants to see if you know the corner-first technique.\n\nFillings vary by region and household. Tuna, capers, parsley and onion is the everyday standard; brik danouni adds mashed potato; there are versions with minced lamb, with chicken, with prawns, with soft cheese. The constant is the egg and the speed of the fry — the pastry needs only long enough to blister and colour, because any longer and the yolk sets, which most Tunisians consider a failed brik rather than a variation. During Ramadan, briks come to the table by the platterful the moment the fast breaks, fried in relays so they never sit long enough to soften.",[15,16,17,18],"Explains the folding and the oil temperature precisely, which is the whole difficulty — everything else is chopping.","Filling is drained and cooled before assembly, the single reason most home briks leak or go soggy.","Gives a realistic filo workaround for cooks who cannot find malsouka sheets, and says honestly what it costs.","Two minutes in the pan per brik, so the whole plate is done in the time it takes to lay the table.",[20,21,22,23,24,25],"The filling must be cold and dry. Warm or wet filling steams the pastry from inside and you get a limp brik with a cooked yolk.","Make a shallow well in the filling before cracking the egg in, so the yolk sits in a dip and does not roll to the edge as you fold.","Crack each egg into a small cup first, then tip it into the well. Fishing out shell after the pastry is folded is impossible.","The oil is ready when a scrap of pastry sizzles hard and floats immediately — roughly 180°C. Cooler oil soaks in, hotter oil browns the shell before the white sets.","Fry one brik at a time in a small pan. Two at once drops the temperature and they end up greasy.","Serve the second it leaves the oil. A brik that waits five minutes loses the shatter that makes it worth eating.",[27,31,35],{"original":28,"swap":29,"note":30},"Malsouka sheets","Two sheets of filo brushed with oil and stacked, or a spring roll wrapper","Filo works but tears more easily and fries into flakes rather than a single crisp shell. Spring roll wrappers hold the egg well but taste noticeably different.",{"original":32,"swap":33,"note":34},"Canned tuna","Shredded cooked chicken, or leave it out for a plain egg and parsley brik","Both are traditional. Tunisian cooks use tuna packed in oil, drained hard — water-packed tuna makes a drier, blander filling.",{"original":36,"swap":37,"note":38},"Deep-fried","Brushed with oil and baked at 220°C for 10 minutes","Honest warning: the shell crisps but the yolk almost always sets. It is a decent pastry, but it is no longer brik à l'oeuf.",[40,43,46],{"name":41,"description":42},"Brik danouni","The most common home version: mashed potato seasoned with parsley and caraway forms a bed under the egg, making the brik sturdier and more filling.",{"name":44,"description":45},"Brik bil lahm","Filled with minced lamb cooked down with onion and harissa until dry, then the usual egg on top.",{"name":47,"description":48},"Brik bil jben","A cheese brik, with grated hard cheese or soft white cheese replacing the tuna. Popular with children and often folded into small triangles instead.",[50],"Lemon wedges, harissa, and a chopped salad of cucumber, tomato and onion to cut the fried pastry.","Brik is not a leftover food — the shell softens within fifteen minutes and the egg is either runny now or ruined later. What you can prepare ahead is the filling, which keeps 2 days covered in the fridge, and the assembled briks minus the egg, which can sit on a floured tray for an hour. Crack in the eggs and fold at the last moment. Fried briks do not reheat into anything worth eating and should not be frozen at any stage.",[53,56,59,62,65],{"question":54,"answer":55},"What is malsouka pastry and where do I find it?","Malsouka (feuilles de brick in French) is a thin Tunisian pastry round made from a wet semolina batter cooked briefly on a hot plate. Look for it frozen or chilled in North African and Middle Eastern grocers, and in French supermarkets under the brick name. Filo is the usual substitute, though it fries into flakes rather than one crisp shell.",{"question":57,"answer":58},"How do I stop the egg leaking out while frying?","Build a low wall of filling around a well in the centre, keep the egg away from the edges, and press the folded edge down firmly before lifting the brik. Slide it into the oil folded edge first and in one movement rather than dropping it. A small leak is normal and Tunisians ignore it.",{"question":60,"answer":61},"How long does a brik actually need in the oil?","About 60 to 90 seconds on the first side and 30 to 45 seconds on the second, in oil at roughly 180°C. You are frying until the surface blisters and turns deep gold, not until the egg is cooked. If the white looks fully firm through the pastry, the yolk has gone too.",{"question":63,"answer":64},"Is a runny egg yolk safe here?","The yolk is warmed but not cooked through, so treat it like any soft-yolk dish: use fresh eggs from a source you trust, and skip it if you are pregnant, elderly or otherwise advised against undercooked eggs. Cooking the brik an extra minute sets the yolk and removes the concern, at the cost of the whole point of the dish.",{"question":66,"answer":67},"Can I use the same recipe for a party-sized batch?","Yes, but fry in relays rather than scaling up the pan. Set up an assembly line — filled pastries on one tray, eggs in cups, one small pan of oil — and fry as guests arrive. This is exactly how briks are served during Ramadan, straight from the pan to the table in a continuous stream.",[69,70,71,72],"Small deep frying pan or wok","Slotted skimmer or spider","Small cup for cracking eggs","Kitchen paper and a wire rack",4,20,10,"medium",[78,79],"appetizer","street-food",[81,82],"pescatarian","dairy-free",[84,85,86,87,88],"tuna","eggs","capers","parsley","onion",[90,95,99,101,105,109,112,116,119,121,125],{"ref":84,"qty":91,"unit":92,"name":93,"group":94},160,"g","canned tuna in olive oil, drained well and flaked","For the filling",{"ref":88,"qty":96,"unit":97,"name":98,"group":94},0.5,"piece","small onion, very finely chopped",{"ref":87,"qty":74,"unit":92,"name":100,"group":94},"flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped",{"ref":86,"qty":102,"unit":103,"name":104,"group":94},1,"tbsp","capers, rinsed and roughly chopped",{"ref":106,"qty":102,"unit":107,"name":106,"optional":108,"group":94},"harissa","tsp",true,{"ref":110,"qty":96,"unit":107,"name":111,"group":94},"caraway","ground caraway",{"qty":113,"unit":114,"name":115,"group":94},null,"to taste","salt and black pepper",{"qty":73,"unit":97,"name":117,"group":118},"malsouka sheets (feuilles de brick)","To assemble",{"ref":85,"qty":73,"unit":97,"name":120,"group":118},"eggs, as fresh as possible",{"qty":122,"unit":123,"name":124,"noScale":108,"group":118},500,"ml","neutral oil, for frying",{"ref":126,"qty":102,"unit":97,"name":127,"group":128},"lemon","lemon, in wedges","To serve",[130,134,137,140,144,148],{"title":131,"text":132,"tip":133},"Mix the filling","Squeeze the drained tuna against the side of a sieve to force out the last of the oil, then fold it with the onion, parsley, capers, harissa and caraway. Season and taste — it should be assertive and slightly salty, since the egg and pastry will mute it. Chill while the oil heats.","If the mixture looks wet in the bowl, blot it with kitchen paper. Wet filling is the main cause of soggy brik.",{"title":135,"text":136},"Heat the oil","Pour oil into a small pan to a depth of about 2 cm and heat to 180°C. Test with a torn scrap of pastry: it should rise straight to the surface and fizz vigorously, colouring in around 20 seconds, without the oil smoking.",{"title":138,"text":139},"Fill and shape","Lay one malsouka sheet on the counter, rough side up. Spoon a quarter of the filling onto the lower half and spread it into a ring with a hollow in the middle, leaving 3 cm clear at the edges. Crack an egg into a cup and slide it into the hollow.",{"title":141,"text":142,"tip":143},"Fold and seal","Lift the top half of the sheet over the filling to make a half-moon and press the curved edge closed with your fingertips, working from one end to the other so no air stays trapped. Move quickly — the pastry starts absorbing moisture from the egg within a minute.","A wet finger run along the edge before pressing helps a stubborn sheet seal.",{"title":145,"text":146,"timerSeconds":147},"Fry","Slide the brik into the oil folded edge first and spoon hot oil over the top so it puffs. Fry 60–90 seconds until the underside is deep gold and covered in small blisters, then flip carefully with a skimmer and give it 30–45 seconds more. The white should look opaque through the pastry while the yolk still moves when you tilt it.",90,{"title":149,"text":150,"tip":151},"Drain and serve at once","Lift the brik onto a wire rack — not kitchen paper alone, which traps steam and softens the base — blot the top, and take it to the table immediately with a lemon wedge. Fry the rest one by one while people eat.","Show anyone who has not eaten brik before: hold a corner, tilt away from yourself, bite the pointed end first.",{"calories":153,"protein":154,"carbs":74,"fat":155,"fiber":102,"sodium":156,"estimated":108},340,19,21,560,[158],{"src":159,"alt":160},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ftunisian-brik\u002Fhero.svg","Golden half-moon brik pastry torn open with a runny egg yolk spilling over the tuna and parsley filling",[162,163,164,165,166,167],"brik","brik a l'oeuf","malsouka","tunisian pastry","tuna and egg","fried 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tuna, crushed potato, egg slices, black olives and red harissa",[222,223,224,225,226,106],"fricasse","tunisian sandwich","fried roll","tuna sandwich","street food",{"slug":228,"title":229,"nativeName":230,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":73,"prepMinutes":231,"cookMinutes":232,"restMinutes":233,"difficulty":234,"course":235,"diet":238,"mainIngredients":239,"images":243,"keywords":247,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},"lablabi","Lablabi (Tunisian Chickpea and Bread Soup)","لبلابي",15,85,480,"easy",[236,237],"soup","breakfast",[81,82],[193,240,241,85,242,84],"garlic","cumin","olive-oil",[244],{"src":245,"alt":246},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Flablabi\u002Fhero.svg","Deep bowl of chickpea broth over torn bread topped with a poached egg, harissa, capers, olives and olive oil",[228,248,249,250,106,241],"chickpea soup","tunisian breakfast","stale bread soup",{"slug":252,"title":253,"nativeName":254,"countrySlug":8,"region":255,"baseServings":256,"prepMinutes":257,"cookMinutes":258,"restMinutes":259,"difficulty":76,"course":260,"diet":262,"mainIngredients":265,"images":269,"keywords":273,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},"tunisian-makroudh","Makroudh (Kairouan Date-Filled Semolina Diamonds)","مقروض","Kairouan",24,40,25,30,[261,211],"dessert",[263,82,264],"vegetarian","nut-free",[266,267,268,242],"semolina","dates","honey",[270],{"src":271,"alt":272},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ftunisian-makroudh\u002Fhero.svg","Stacked honey-glazed semolina diamonds cut open to show the dark spiced date filling inside",[274,275,266,276,268,277],"makroudh","date pastry","kairouan","tunisian sweets",{"slug":279,"title":280,"nativeName":281,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":73,"prepMinutes":231,"cookMinutes":258,"difficulty":234,"course":282,"diet":283,"mainIngredients":284,"images":288,"keywords":292,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},"ojja","Ojja Merguez (Tunisian Eggs in Spicy Pepper Sauce)","عجة مرقاز",[188,237],[82],[285,85,286,106,287],"merguez","tomato","bell-pepper",[289],{"src":290,"alt":291},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fojja\u002Fhero.svg","Skillet of red tomato and pepper sauce with merguez slices and softly set eggs stirred through, parsley on top",[279,285,293,294,295,296],"tunisian eggs","harissa tomato sauce","one pan dinner","chakchouka",{"slug":298,"title":299,"nativeName":300,"countrySlug":8,"region":301,"baseServings":184,"prepMinutes":258,"cookMinutes":258,"restMinutes":231,"difficulty":234,"course":302,"diet":304,"mainIngredients":306,"images":307,"keywords":311,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},"salade-mechouia","Slata Mechouia (Tunisian Grilled Pepper and Tomato Salad)","سلاطة مشوية","Cap Bon",[303,78],"side",[81,305,82,264],"gluten-free",[287,286,240,242,84],[308],{"src":309,"alt":310},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsalade-mechouia\u002Fhero.svg","Flat plate of chopped charred green pepper and tomato salad topped with flaked tuna, egg quarters and black olives",[312,313,314,315,110,316],"slata mechouia","grilled pepper salad","tunisian salad","kemia","smoky",{"slug":318,"title":319,"nativeName":320,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":184,"prepMinutes":74,"cookMinutes":321,"restMinutes":75,"difficulty":76,"course":322,"diet":323,"mainIngredients":324,"images":327,"keywords":331,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},"tunisian-tajine","Tajine Malsouka (Tunisian Baked Egg and Cheese Casserole)","طاجين ملسوقة",60,[188,78],[264],[85,325,326,87,88],"chicken","gruyere",[328],{"src":329,"alt":330},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ftunisian-tajine\u002Fhero.svg","Golden baked Tunisian tajine cut into squares showing shredded chicken, parsley and melted cheese in set egg",[332,333,334,335,336,337],"tunisian tajine","tajine malsouka","baked eggs","chicken casserole","frittata","make ahead",{"slug":339,"title":340,"nativeName":341,"countrySlug":8,"region":342,"baseServings":184,"prepMinutes":74,"cookMinutes":343,"difficulty":76,"course":344,"diet":345,"mainIngredients":346,"images":349,"keywords":353,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},"tunisian-chorba-frik","Tunisian Chorba Frik (Freekeh and Lamb Soup)","شربة فريك","Tunis and the interior",95,[236],[82],[347,286,106,348,87],"lamb","mint",[350],{"src":351,"alt":352},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ftunisian-chorba-frik\u002Fhero.svg","Bowl of thick red freekeh soup with pieces of lamb, chopped parsley and a lemon wedge on the rim",[354,355,356,357,358,359],"chorba frik","freekeh soup","lamb soup","ramadan","tunisian soup","iftar",{"slug":361,"title":362,"nativeName":363,"countrySlug":8,"region":301,"baseServings":364,"prepMinutes":74,"cookMinutes":365,"restMinutes":259,"difficulty":234,"course":366,"diet":368,"mainIngredients":370,"images":372,"keywords":376,"publishedAt":168,"updatedAt":168,"authorSlug":169},"tunisian-harissa","Tunisian Harissa (Sun-Dried Chilli Paste)","هريسة",16,5,[367],"sauce",[369,263,305,82,264],"vegan",[240,110,371,242],"coriander-seed",[373],{"src":374,"alt":375},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ftunisian-harissa\u002Fhero.svg","Deep red harissa paste in a small jar under a layer of olive oil, with dried chillies and caraway seeds beside it",[106,377,110,378,379,204],"tunisian chilli paste","dried chillies","north african condiment",false,1787360052844]