Tunisian · appetizer

Brik a l'Oeuf

Name: Brik a l'Oeuf
Prep time: 22 min
Total time: 22 min
Cuisine: Tunisian
Ingredients: malsouka pastry — 100 g; potatoes — 300 g; tuna in olive oil — 120 g; flat-leaf parsley — 30 g; onion — 110 g; capers — 50 g; harissa — 15 g; tabil — 5 g; salt — 5 g; freshly ground black pepper — 2 g; eggs — 800 g; sunflower oil — 690 g; lemon — 65 g

Brik a l'Oeuf reads citrus 6.5, sourness 5.9 and fruity 5.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Tunisian appetizer, about 22 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 4.5 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.5 / 10
Sour & Bright — 8.3 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.6 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.5 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 3.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 6.5 · Sourness 5.9 · Fruity 5.2 · Salinity 4.3 · Richness 4.0 · Allium 3.4 · Herbaceous 2.4 · Umami 2.0 · Heat 2.0 · Nutty 1.6 · Floral 1.4 · Warm Spice 1.4 · Earthy 1.4 · Bitterness 1.2 · Sweetness 1.1

What's in it (13)

malsouka pastry — 100 g
potatoes — 300 g
tuna in olive oil — 120 g
flat-leaf parsley — 30 g
onion — 110 g
capers — 50 g
harissa — 15 g
tabil — 5 g
salt — 5 g
freshly ground black pepper — 2 g
eggs — 800 g
sunflower oil — 690 g
lemon — 65 g

Time & effort: about 22 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 85.6 kcal, 6.6 g protein, 4.8 g fat, 3.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

Boil the potatoes 20 minutes until soft, drain well and mash them while hot.
Beat the harissa, tabil, salt and pepper into the mash. Harissa here is structural, not a condiment on the side - it goes into the body of the filling and carries the heat of the whole thing. Tabil, the Tunisian garlic-caraway-coriander-cayenne blend, is what makes it taste Tunisian rather than generally North African.
Fold in the flaked tuna, parsley, onion and capers.
Lay a sheet of malsouka flat, spoon an eighth of the filling onto one half and make a well in the centre with the back of the spoon. Crack a whole egg into the well.
Fold the pastry over into a half-moon or triangle and press the edges shut, working quickly so the egg does not run.
Slide the brik into oil heated to 180 C / 350 F and fry 2 minutes, turning once, until crisp and blistered. The yolk should still be liquid - that is the test of a brik.
Drain briefly and serve immediately with lemon wedges. It is eaten with the fingers, folded so the yolk does not escape.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Greek-Marinated Grilled Pork Chops — Greek
Nyama Choma (Charcoal-Roast Goat with Ugali) — Kenyan
Lemon Pepper Baked Tilapia with Rice — American
Beyran Çorbası (Garlic and Lamb Shank Breakfast Soup) — Turkish
Greek Turkey Meatballs with Orzo — Greek

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, fruity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.