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Casse-croûte tunisien
Tuna baguette sandwich
Casse-croûte: the Tunisian tuna baguette with mechouia, harissa, olives, egg and potato
From train-station kiosks in Tunis to beach stalls at Hammamet, the casse-croûte is the sandwich everyone grabs: a baguette slit open, painted with harissa and packed with tuna, mechouia (a grilled pepper and tomato salad), boiled egg, diced potato, olives and a few capers. It is messy, spicy and filling, with smoky peppers against the rich tuna and the soft, starchy potato. This version makes a quick pan-charred mechouia while the eggs and potatoes cook. Chef's tip: let the potatoes and eggs cool before they go in; adding them hot steams the bread and turns it soggy, a common mistake at home.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the quick mechouia
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 clove garliccrushed
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 pinch ground caraway
- ½ tsp salt
For the sandwiches
- 4 small baguettesabout 25 cm each
- 10 ½ oz potatoespeeled and cut into 1 cm dice
- 4 eggs
- 11 ½ oz tuna in olive oildrained (two tins)
- 4 tsp harissa
- 12 black olivespitted
- 1 tbsp capers (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 2: Meanwhile, char 2 long green peppers and 2 tomatoes in a dry cast-iron pan over a high heat, turning, for 8 to 10 minutes until blistered and soft.
10 minStep 3: Peel the peppers and tomatoes, remove the pepper seeds and chop everything finely. Mix with 1 clove garlic, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 pinch ground caraway and ½ tsp salt.
Step 4: Peel the eggs and slice them. Split 4 small baguettes lengthways without cutting all the way through and spread the inside with 4 tsp harissa.
Step 5: Fill each baguette with mechouia, then 11 ½ oz tuna in olive oil, the cooled potato, egg slices, 12 black olives and 1 tbsp capers if using. Press closed and eat straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 37 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does casse-croûte tunisien take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 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 very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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