North African Brik with Tuna and Cilantro
Brik are crisp, flaky appetizers found in Tunisian, Algerian, and Moroccan kitchens in France. The word refers to the dough, similar to the Moroccan warka, which one makes by tossing fistfuls of a wet, pastelike batter onto a hot grill. The batter miraculously spreads into a thin, pliable sheet, which may be used as an appetizer or dessert wrapper. You can find unbaked feuilles de brik (brik leaves) in Middle Eastern food stores or online (see A Source Guide, page 370). If you can’t, use wonton wrappers instead, or even phyllo dough, although your finished product will not have the same grainy texture as real brik. I often make these filled pastries as an appetizer at Hanukkah, instead of potato pancakes.
Recipe information
Yield
48 brik
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put the tuna (I prefer the Cento brand of tuna, which is certified kosher) in a mixing bowl, and break it up with a fork. Fold in the hard-boiled eggs, cilantro, onion, crème fraîche or sour cream, pine nuts, and salt and freshly ground pepper. Taste, and adjust seasonings.
Step 2
Place a teaspoon of the filling along one side of each wrapper. Using your finger, brush the edges of the wrapper with the beaten egg and fold over to enclose the filling. Roll up the package like a jelly roll, sealing by pinching the edges with the beaten egg wash to enclose the filling, pinching the ends together and removing as much air as possible. Put all the turnovers on a baking sheet, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to fry.
Step 3
Heat at least 2 inches of oil in a wok or large sauté pan until the oil reaches about 375 degrees. Fry the brik in batches for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until golden. Drain on a paper towel and serve immediately, with a dab of harissa on top, or with a bowl of harissa alongside for dipping.
notes
Step 4
To make potato brik, boil 2 pounds of baking potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and mash them, and mix with 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley and one small finely diced white onion. Stir in two diced hard-boiled eggs and salt and pepper to taste.
Step 5
To make egg brik, place a large brik wrapper on a plate. Sprinkle some tuna and diced parsley on top. Then break an egg in the center, quickly fold the wrapper in half, and slide into the hot oil. Serve with harissa (see page 33) and preserved lemon (see page 171).
