Tunisian Fricassé

Tunisian Fricassé

Fricassé is a Tunisian sandwich in which the roll itself is part of the flavor: an oval yeast dough fried until golden, split open and filled with tuna, potato, egg, olives, harissa and preserved lemon. It is associated with street stalls and with the tables of Tunisian Jews in Israel.

Prep time: 45 minutes · Rising: 75 minutes · Frying and assembly: 30 minutes · Yield: 10 pieces · Difficulty: Medium

Soft dough, but not runny

The dough should stick slightly to the bottom of the bowl and pull away from the sides. Too much flour makes a heavy roll; cold oil causes absorption. Fry at 175°C (347°F), two or three pieces at a time.

Ingredients (for 10 pieces)

• 500 g white flour
• 14 g instant dry yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, 2 tablespoons oil and 240–270 ml lukewarm water
• Neutral oil for frying; about 120 g absorbed was counted in the calculation
• 300 g tuna in water, drained weight
• 400 g cooked, sliced potatoes
• 5 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 100 g pitted green olives
• 80 g harissa, thinned with 2 tablespoons water
• 50 g chopped preserved lemon peel

Choosing ingredients and substitutes

Bread flour gives an elastic chew, but regular Israeli white flour works. You can use drained tuna in oil; it adds about 20–30 calories per piece, depending on the label. Store-bought preserved lemon is very salty, so taste before adding salt to the filling.

Method

1. Knead. Mix the flour, yeast and sugar. Add the egg, oil and most of the water, then the salt. Knead 10 minutes, adding water only until the dough is soft.
2. Let it rise. Cover and let rise 60–75 minutes, until doubled in volume.
3. Shape. Divide into ten pieces of about 85–90 g, form ovals 10 cm long and place them on squares of baking paper. Cover for 25 minutes.
4. Fry safely. Heat oil 4 cm deep to 175°C. Remove the paper and fry 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer to a rack; never leave a pot of oil unattended.
5. Assemble. Cool 10 minutes, cut a slit without cutting all the way through and spread with harissa. Fill with potato, tuna, egg, olives and preserved lemon.

Nutrition facts and calorie estimate

The estimate assumes 120 g of oil absorbed across all ten rolls and tuna in water. Low oil temperature or prolonged frying will increase absorption.

Variations and tips

• Prepare all the fillings ahead, but fry and assemble close to serving.
• For a milder version, use one tablespoon of harissa for all the sandwiches and thin it with water and lemon.
• Leftovers keep a day in the fridge; it’s best to store the rolls and the filling separately.

Summary

A successful fricassé is an airy roll with a golden shell and a sour-spicy filling. One filled piece is about 440 calories. For more Tunisian street food, see brik and bambalouni.