Brik à l’Oeuf (Tunisian Fried Egg Pastry)

Brik à l’oeuf is the snack Tunisia cannot live without — a paper-thin pastry folded around tuna, capers, and a raw egg, then fried until the outside shatters and the inside stays molten. It appears at street stalls, cafés, and family tables alike, and it is always eaten hot, the moment it leaves the oil. In Tunis it is the classic café snack with a glass of tea, and it is especially loved during Ramadan.

The pastry that shatters, the yolk that runs

The whole drama is in the contrast: crisp, blistered pastry that cracks at the touch, giving way to a warm, runny yolk that spills over the briny tuna filling. Timing is everything — two minutes too long and the magic is gone. The filling is endlessly flexible, and cheese, potato, or anchovy all have their devoted fans. Eat it immediately, torn open with your hands, with a squeeze of lemon.

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