46 min
Seafood Pad Thai-Style Noodles with Shrimp, Calamari, Tofu & Cashews
Glossy tamarind rice noodles carry quick-cooked shrimp and calamari, golden tofu, tender egg, crisp bean sprouts, chives, roasted cashews, and plenty of lime.
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Tunisian-Style Brik with Tuna, Egg & Harissa Salad
Crisp golden pastry encloses tuna, potato, capers and egg, with a chopped cucumber-tomato salad and harissa for a bright, satisfying lunch.
Directions
Cook and mash the potato
Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cool water by 1 inch and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until completely tender. Drain well, mash and cool for 10 minutes.
Mix the tuna filling
Fold the tuna, parsley, capers, scallions, coriander, cumin and harissa into the potato. Taste and add up to 1/4 teaspoon salt if needed; tuna and capers may already be salty. Divide into 6 equal portions.
Make the salad
Combine the cucumber, tomatoes and red onion with the olive oil, lemon juice and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside so the flavors mingle while you fry the brik.
Heat the oil safely
Pour 1/2 inch neutral oil into a wide, heavy skillet and heat over medium to 350°F. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan. Keep unused pastry covered with a barely damp towel so it does not crack.
Fill one brik at a time
Lay one pastry sheet on a plate. Mound one portion of tuna filling just off center and make a deep well. Crack one egg into the well, fold the pastry over into a half-moon or triangle and press out excess air. If using spring-roll wrappers, brush the edges lightly with water to seal.
Fry until crisp
Slide the brik carefully into the 350°F oil and fry for 60 to 90 seconds per side, spooning hot oil over the top, until deep golden and the egg white is opaque. Drain on the rack and return the oil to 350°F before filling and frying the next brik. For fully set eggs or higher-risk diners, cook until the center reaches 160°F; use pasteurized eggs if keeping the yolk soft.
Serve immediately
Plate each crisp brik with the drained chopped salad, lemon wedges and extra harissa. Warn diners that the filling is hot and serve within minutes so the pastry stays crisp.
Why this works
Why it worksMashed potato anchors the tuna and keeps the raw egg centered instead of letting it run toward the pastry seam.
Why it worksFilling each brik immediately before frying prevents the thin wrapper from becoming soggy or tearing.
Why it worksA 350°F oil target crisps the exterior quickly while the spooned oil sets the top and the egg cooks inside.
Useful kitchen gear
Tools that make this easier.
Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.
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Compare on Amazon12-inch cast-iron skilletA wide heavy skillet holds a shallow, temperature-stable layer of oil for crisping one filled pastry at a time.See current options →
Compare on AmazonDigital cooking thermometerTrack frying oil near 350°F and verify 160°F when a fully set egg center is needed.See current options →
Compare on AmazonThin flexible spatulaA broad flexible turner supports the delicate filled wrapper when it enters, flips in and leaves the hot oil.See current options →
Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Use well-drained canned salmon in place of tuna; remove any skin or large bones and keep the filling quantity the same.
- If brik pastry is unavailable, large spring-roll wrappers give a slightly thicker but reliable shell; do not substitute dry phyllo sheets one-for-one.
- For a milder filling, use 1 teaspoon harissa inside and serve the remainder at the table.
Cook notes
- Set up every component before cracking an egg; the filled pastry must go directly into hot oil.
- Keep a lid nearby for grease-fire safety, but never pour water on hot oil and never leave the pan unattended.
- The filling is mild at one tablespoon harissa. Offer extra harissa separately rather than increasing the shared batch.
- A wire rack preserves the crisp underside better than paper towels, which trap steam.
- Seed the tomatoes so their juices do not flood the salad or soften the brik on the plate.
Storage
Brik is best immediately. Refrigerate leftover cooked pastries within 2 hours for up to 2 days, then reheat on a rack in a 400°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the center reaches 165°F. Do not microwave if you want a crisp shell. The tuna-potato filling can be refrigerated before eggs are added for up to 2 days; do not freeze assembled raw brik.
Questions
How do I keep the egg from leaking?
Cool the potato mixture, make a deep well, keep the wrapper flat and fold immediately after cracking. Practice with one brik at a time rather than assembling all six in advance.
Can I bake brik instead of frying it?
You can brush the sealed pastries with oil and bake at 425°F for about 10 to 14 minutes, but the wrapper will be drier and the egg timing less predictable. Use pasteurized eggs and verify 160°F if a fully set center is required.
How do I know the oil is ready without a thermometer?
A small wrapper corner should bubble briskly without darkening at once, but a thermometer is more reliable. Oil below 340°F makes greasy pastry; oil much above 365°F browns the shell before the egg white sets.
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Tunisian-Style Brik with Tuna, Egg & Harissa Salad
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1. Cook and mash the potatoPut the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cool water by 1 inch and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until completely tender. Drain well, mash and cool for 10 minutes.
2. Mix the tuna fillingFold the tuna, parsley, capers, scallions, coriander, cumin and harissa into the potato. Taste and add up to 1/4 teaspoon salt if needed; tuna and capers may already be salty. Divide into 6 equal portions.
3. Make the saladCombine the cucumber, tomatoes and red onion with the olive oil, lemon juice and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside so the flavors mingle while you fry the brik.
4. Heat the oil safelyPour 1/2 inch neutral oil into a wide, heavy skillet and heat over medium to 350°F. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan. Keep unused pastry covered with a barely damp towel so it does not crack.
5. Fill one brik at a timeLay one pastry sheet on a plate. Mound one portion of tuna filling just off center and make a deep well. Crack one egg into the well, fold the pastry over into a half-moon or triangle and press out excess air. If using spring-roll wrappers, brush the edges lightly with water to seal.
6. Fry until crispSlide the brik carefully into the 350°F oil and fry for 60 to 90 seconds per side, spooning hot oil over the top, until deep golden and the egg white is opaque. Drain on the rack and return the oil to 350°F before filling and frying the next brik. For fully set eggs or higher-risk diners, cook until the center reaches 160°F; use pasteurized eggs if keeping the yolk soft.
7. Serve immediatelyPlate each crisp brik with the drained chopped salad, lemon wedges and extra harissa. Warn diners that the filling is hot and serve within minutes so the pastry stays crisp.