Tunisian Brik – Fried Pastry Filled with Egg and Tuna

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Wrapping Dough

1. 1
   Thaw the phyllo dough in the fridge overnight, until pliable but still cold.

   Refrigerator

   💡Work with store-bought dough while it's cold: warm puff pastry gets sticky and won't puff in the oven, and phyllo sheets dry out fast, so keep the waiting sheets covered with a damp towel.

For the Pastry Filling

1. 2
   In a bowl, mix the tuna, paprika, parsley and oil, and season with salt and black pepper.

   Bowl

To assemble

1. 3
   Lay out a pastry sheet, place tbsp heaping of the filling on half of it and crack an egg over the filling.
2. 4
   Fold the other half of the sheet over and press the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining sheets, filling and eggs.
3. 5
   Heat the oil in a deep pot to 170°C (340°F) and Fry 3–4 minutes per side, until the pastries are golden and crisp.

   ⚙ Deep-fryingStoveSlotted spoonCandy/oil thermometerDeep pot for frying

   💡Keep the oil at 170–180°C (340–355°F): too cold, and the food soaks up oil; too hot, and it browns outside before the inside cooks. Without a thermometer, dip the tip of a wooden spoon in the oil: when medium bubbles form around it right away, the oil is hot enough.

   💡Don't overload the oil: every piece that goes in cools it down. Fry one piece as a test, then the rest in several batches, and transfer to paper towels.
4. 6
   Drain on paper towels and serve hot.