Brik bil Bidh (Tunisian Egg Brik)
Local name: بريك بالبيض
In short: Crisp half-moons of paper-thin brik pastry filled with tuna, parsley, capers and a runny egg, fried until golden, a Tunisian classic at Ramadan. It takes about 35 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 280 kcal
Brik is the most recognizable Tunisian starter and a fixture of the Ramadan table, where it often opens the evening meal. A sheet of paper-thin pastry is folded around tuna, parsley, capers and a whole egg, then fried until the shell blisters and the yolk stays soft. The trick is eating it right away, leaning over the plate and biting carefully, as everyone in Tunisia does.
Instructions
- Mix the tuna, parsley, capers, onion, a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper in a bowl, flaking the tuna with a fork.
- Pour the oil into a wide skillet, about 2 cm (3/4 in) deep, and heat to 180°C (350°F). A scrap of pastry dropped in should sizzle at once.
- Lay one pastry sheet on a plate and keep the others under a damp towel. Spoon a quarter of the filling on one half of the sheet, leaving a border, and shape it into a ring with a hollow in the middle.
- Crack a small egg into the hollow. Fold the empty half of the pastry over the filling to make a half-moon and pinch the edges closed.
- Slide the brik into the hot oil straight away. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side until deep golden, spooning hot oil over the top so the egg white sets.
- Lift out the brik, drain on paper towels and serve immediately with lemon wedges. Fill and fry the remaining briks one at a time.
Tips
- Brik sheets dry out and crack fast, so work with one sheet at a time. If you cannot find them, use two overlapping sheets of filo brushed with oil, which gives a flakier shell.
- For a vegetarian filling, replace the tuna with mashed boiled potato mixed with parsley, capers and a little harissa.
Questions and answers
How do you keep the egg yolk runny in a brik?
Use a small egg, fry in oil at 180°C (350°F) for about 3 minutes in total and spoon hot oil over the top. Anyone who avoids runny yolks should fry for about 4 minutes until the yolk is firm.
Can I bake brik instead of frying it?
You can brush the filled briks with oil and bake at 220°C (425°F) for 10 to 12 minutes, but they come out paler and less blistered. Frying gives the authentic crisp shell.
What do you serve with brik?
Lemon wedges, a small bowl of harissa and a simple tomato and cucumber salad. In Tunisia it comes before the main course at Ramadan meals, usually beside a bowl of soup.
How long does it take to make Brik bil Bidh (Tunisian Egg Brik)?
About 35 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Brik bil Bidh (Tunisian Egg Brik)?
About 280 kcal per serving, with 17 g of protein, 14 g of carbohydrates and 17 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 280 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 17 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14 g |
| Fat | 17 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Sodium | 480 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
