Nati Shafrir's Tunisian Fricassee (sandwich). Photography: Dan Peretz
Nati Shafrir's Tunisian Fricassee (sandwich). Photography: Dan Peretz
Recipe

Nati Shafrir’s Tunisian Sandwich

Tunisian fricassee is a fried roll, with a texture comparable to doughnuts. They're similar to a sandwich of the same name made with tuna, egg, and potato

Never heard of a Tunisian sandwich? You’re not alone. These delicious sandwiches are a North African take on the Parisian dish of the same name that traditionally feature some combination of tuna, hard boiled egg, olives, and potato.

Chef Nati Shafrir created a more refined version with poached egg, pan-seared tuna chunks, roasted tomatoes and pickled lemon mayonnaise. The buns are tastiest when they are fresh, so don’t prepare them more than a few hours before serving. It is important to work with floured hands.

Ingredients for Tunisian Sandwich

For fried fricassee rolls:

  • 3 ½ cups (500 grams) flour
  • 1 tablespoon (11 grams) Dry yeast
  • ½ tablespoon Salt
  • 1 tablespoon Sugar
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) water
  • flour for your hands
  • oil for deep frying

For the pickled lemon mayonnaise:

    • 2 egg yolks
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon mustard
    • 1 cup vegetable oil
    • 1 tablespoon pickled lemon chopped
    • Salt to taste
    • ground black pepper to taste

    For the tomato confit:

    • 6 medium-sized tomatoes sliced in half and seeded
    • Atlantic sea salt
    • ground black pepper
    • 1 or 2 thyme sprigs, leaves only
    • 1-2 tablespoons Sugar
    • olive oil for drizzling

    For the tuna:

    • 1.3 pounds (600 grams) skinless red tuna fillet divided into 6 steaks
    • Salt
    • A small amount of oil for frying

    For the poached eggs:

    • 2 tablespoons vinegar
    • 6 eggs

    Serve with:

    • 4-5 parsley stalks chopped
    • Salt

    Instructions

    Prepare the Rolls:

    • 1. Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is relatively sticky, but is still workable (reminiscent of donut dough). If the dough is too watery, add a little flour. If it is too hard, add a little water and knead for another minute.

    • 2. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size.

    • 3. Transfer the dough to a large floured tray. Punch down and knead with floured hands for another minute or two. Using your thumb and index finger, carve 6 balls out of the dough, identical in size. Shape them into long rolls and cover with a damp towel. Allow them to rise for another 20 minutes.

    • 4. Deep fry the rolls for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove them from the pan and place on paper towels to drain. If you prefer, the rolls can also be baked. Arrange the rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, allow them to rise for 20 minutes (like in the original version) and bake at 390F/200ºC for 12 minutes until browned.  

    Prepare the pickled lemon mayonnaise:

    • 5. Using a whisk, beat the egg yolks, lemon juice and mustard until the mixture starts to thicken. Gradually add the oil and continuing whisking until it has a mayonnaise texture. Add the pickled lemon, salt and pepper and stir. The mayonnaise can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

    Prepare the tomato confit:

    • 6. Heat the oven to 300ºF (150ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the tomatoes on the baking sheet sliced side up. Sprinkle a little Atlantic sea salt, black pepper, thyme, and sugar over them and then drizzle a generous amount of olive oil. Bake for 2 hours and cool to room temperature. The tomatoes can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

    Prepare the tuna:

    • 7. Season the Tuna steaks with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan and sear the steaks for about 30 seconds on each side. Remove from heat and cut the steaks into ½-inch (1 cm) slices.

    Prepare the Eggs:

    • 8. Fill a wide pot halfway with water, add the vinegar and bring to a gentle boil over medium flame. Crack one egg into a small bowl and, after the water begins to bubble a bit, slide it into the pot. Cook for about 2 minutes (it may be necessary to 'help' the white wrap itself around the yolk, which can be done gently with a spoon). Carefully remove the egg from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large plate. Repeat the process with the rest of the eggs.

    Assembling the sandwich:

    • 9. Slice each roll in half lengthwise, leaving the ends joined either on the top or bottom of the roll. Spread a little of the mayonnaise on each half, followed by a layer of two tomato halves, and then slices of one of the tuna steaks. Gently place a poached egg on top, season with a little salt, add some chopped parsley and serve.  

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    The recipe is courtesy of the “Haschulchan” website.

     

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