Do you know the Tunisian Fricassés? This deep-fried sandwich is a specialty from Tunisia. It is stuffed with hard-boiled egg, tuna, potatoes and harissa. They are super yummy, and it is one of my favorite street foods when going there.
Tunisian Fricassés filling
You will obviously find a ton of different recipes and versions. Usually, Tunisian Fricassés are filled with boiled potatoes, tuna, harissa, olives and slata Mechouia.
When it comes to my Fricassés, I like to add mayonnaise, so it is not as dry (it is also how I eat it with my family as a little girl so I just keep on doing that). Some people will spread Harissa directly on the bread before garnishing. Others like to use Mechouia (a mix od roasted bell peppers, tomatoes, ail and peppers) but as I don’t like spicy food, I just stick to a tiny bit of Harissa mixed in my Mayonnaise for the little kick.
Tips for cooking your Tunisian Fricassés
This is actually the only delicate step in this recipe, which still remains pretty easy to make.
You need to make sure the oil is not too hot. If it is, the inside will be nicely cooked, but you will find yourself with stick dough inside because it won’t be cooked enough. Try to keep the oil at a constant temperature and never above 170C (340F). This will allow you to have a nice crust and the inside will be perfectly cooked and moist.
One good tip when you fry food is to add a stick of carrot in your oil. When you see bubbles around it, your oil is at the right temperature, and you can cook your food. It also helps keep the oil clean so keep it there while frying your stuffs.
How to store Tunisian Fricassés
Tunian Fricassés are best to eat on the same day. However, you can keep them 2 to 3 days in the fridge. Wrap them individually with plastic and refrigerate. It will be a bit dry on the third day but perfectly eatable.
Here is the recipe!
Tunisian Fricassés
Ingredients
For the Fricassés
- 400 g flour
- 8 g dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 ¼ + ½ cup warm water
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Sunflower Oil or other, for frying
Filling
- 1 can of tuna
- Black olives
- 3 eggs hard-boiled
- 2 potatoes boiled
- Mayonnaise
- Harissa
Instructions
Fricassés
- Activate the yeast by combining in a small bowl with ½ warm water (make sure it is not hot) and sugar. Wait for about 15 minutes (or until bubbly) to use.
- In a bigger bowl, combine flour and salt. Add yeast and the rest of water little by little while kneading your dough. When it starts getting together, add the oil. Knead well then form a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, set the dough aside to rise for 30 minutes.
- Gently deflate the dough before shaping in small ball of about 60g. Lengthen the ends to have an oval shape. Place on a lightly floured surface, cover with a towel and let rise 20 to 30 minutes.
- Fry the Fricassés in oil. Carefully lift them (I use a spatula so as not to ruin their shape) and drop in oil. Once golden in one side, turn to cook the other side. It should take about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Remove from oil when cook and place on a paper towel to get rid of excess oil.
Filling
- Cut boiled potatoes in squared pieces, chopped eggs. Combine potatoes, eggs, tuna, olives. In another bowl, mix enough quantities of mayonnaise with harissa (quantity of Harissa will depend on how much spicy you can handle). Combine with the previous mix.
- Open the Fricassés and fill with your salad. Enjoy!
