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Brik à l'œuf
Tunisian crisp fried pastry triangle with a runny egg, parsley and potato
Brik is Tunisia's crackling street and Ramadan snack: a sheet of paper-thin malsouka pastry folded around a raw egg, mashed potato, parsley and capers, and fried for a minute until the shell shatters and the yolk is still runny. In Tunis and La Goulette it is eaten by hand, held by the corners and bitten carefully to avoid egg on the chin. The classic filling adds tuna; this version keeps it vegetarian with a little cheese. It is different from Moroccan briouats, which are small rolled parcels baked or fried with a cooked filling. Chef's tip: have the oil hot and ready before cracking the egg onto the pastry; once the egg sits, it soaks through the sheet.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 1 medium boiled potato, 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, ½ onion, 1 tbsp capers, 1 ⅜ oz grated Gruyère or Emmental, 1 tsp harissa, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
Step 2: Heat 1 ¼ cups sunflower oil for frying in a wide frying pan over a medium-high heat to about 350°F, until a scrap of pastry puffs and browns in 20 seconds.
5 minStep 3: Lay one sheet of 4 malsouka or brik pastry sheets (feuilles de brick) on a plate. Spoon a quarter of the filling into the centre, make a well in it and crack one of 4 eggs into the well.
Step 4: Quickly fold the sheet in half over the egg to make a half-moon or triangle, slide it into the oil and fry for 30–45 seconds a side, spooning oil over the top, until crisp and golden. The yolk should still feel soft when pressed. Common mistake: frying too long — the egg overcooks and the point of brik is the runny yolk.
2 minStep 5: Drain on kitchen paper and serve at once with 4 lemon wedges. Fry the rest one at a time.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does brik à l'œuf take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of boiled potato?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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