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Tunisian fricassé
Fried rolls with tuna and egg
Fricassé: little fried rolls from Tunis filled with tuna, egg, olives and harissa
Fricassé are the small, soft fried rolls sold from glass-fronted counters in Tunis and the coastal towns, split while still warm and filled to order with tuna, boiled egg, olives, boiled potato, mechouia salad and a smear of harissa. They are an afternoon snack, a beach lunch and a Ramadan favourite. The mistake is frying the dough when the oil is too cool, which makes it greasy and heavy; keep the oil at 170 °C. Chef's tip: give the shaped rolls a full second rise so they puff and stay light inside.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white flour
- ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast1 sachet
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ¼ cups warm waterabout
- 4 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor deep frying
For the filling
- 11 ½ oz tuna in olive oil2 tins, drained and flaked
- 4 eggshard-boiled, sliced
- 2 potatoesboiled, peeled and diced
- 2 ⅞ oz black olivespitted and halved
- 3 tbsp harissa
- 2 tbsp capers (optional)drained
- 1 lemonjuiced
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Add 1 egg, 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 ¼ cups warm water and knead for 10 minutes into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled.
70 minStep 2: Divide into 12 pieces and shape each into a small oval roll. Set on an oiled tray, cover with a cloth and leave to rise for 40 minutes, until puffy.
40 minStep 3: Heat 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil to 350°F in a deep pan. Fry the rolls 3 or 4 at a time for 2–3 minutes a side, until deep golden; they should puff up at once. Drain on kitchen paper and cool for 10 minutes.
20 minStep 5: Split each roll along the side without cutting it through. Spread the inside with 3 tbsp harissa, then fill with 11 ½ oz tuna in olive oil, 2 potatoes, slices of 4 eggs, 2 ⅞ oz black olives and 2 tbsp capers. Eat the same day; keep filled rolls in the fridge and eat within 4 hours.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tunisian fricassé take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 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 fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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