Brik Egg Stuffed Pastry For One Serving Food

BRIK (EGG-STUFFED PASTRY FOR ONE SERVING)

Steps:

• This is a very tricky pastry to make. When working with phyllo pastry, always work with one sheet at a time and keep the remaining sheets covered so that they do not dry out.
• Fold one sheet of pastry into quarters. Using a pair of scissors, cut the folded pastry into the largest circle possible. Discard the trimmings. This will produce four circles. Use all four circles at a time for one brik.
• Oil a small round plate slightly larger than the pastry circles. Add the stacked circles of pastry. Spoon the tuna over half of the round, leaving a margin of about one inch.
• Break the egg in the center over the tuna and smear some of the white around the margin and unfilled pastry half. Sprinkle the egg with the onion, capers, parsley, coriander, salt, pepper and cumin.
• Fold the pastry over to enclose the egg and make a half moon shape. Using the fingers, rub the oil from the plate all over the pastry.
• Heat about half an inch of oil in a skillet. It is important that the oil be heated to about 330 degrees. It must not be too hot or the brik will burn.
• As carefully as possible, lift and slide the pastry into the oil. Cook 50 seconds or so on one side until nicely browned. As the pastry cooks press down the rounded edge with a spatula. Baste. Turn and cook about one minute on the other side.
• Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

TUNISIAN EGG BRIKS

Steps:

• Directions are given per brik.
• Place the phyllo sheet on a work surface. Phyllo is rectangular. Either cut it to make a square, or fold the phyllo so you work with a single layer sheet.
• Using only the top half of the phyllo sheet, spoon 1 tablespoonful of tuna onto the phyllo. Sprinkle 1/4 the amount of parmesan onto the tuna. (If using mashed potato, put 1/4 of the mashed potato onto the tuna and parmesan.) Dot 1 teaspoon of harissa around the mixture. Sprinkle on 1 tablespoon or less of parsley. Make sort of an open circle with the mixture.
• Now, crack open an egg, and drop it on this mixture in a way that the mixture won't let the egg white run out easily. The mixture should surround the egg.
• Fold the bottom half of the phyllo sheet over the top half. This will cover the whole mixture. Seal the edges with egg white as you make the fold. If you have excess pastry per brik, just fold the excess in towards the center of the brik; it will resemble an envelope.
• Slip this brik into hot oil. Fry 30 seconds on one side, or until the phyllo is a golden brown color. Turn it, and fry the other side, also 30 seconds, or until the color is golden brown.
• Continue with the other briks.
• Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze into every bite, salad and tomato.