The Tunisian
fricassee has one serious trump card to play over some of the other sandwiches
in this book and that is the fact that the bread dough is fried. The idea of
plunging things into hot oil should never be dismissed without proper
consideration. The main filling ingredients here—tuna, eggs, potatoes, capers—may
seem more fitting with something like a Pan Bagnat (see recipe on page
94), but the exotic curveball comes in the form of the chili
paste, harissa, and the intoxicating perfume of preserved lemons.
Makes 10
INGREDIENTS
FOR
THE FRICASSEE ROLLS:
1 tsp superfine (caster) sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1 egg
2 cups (250g)
all-purpose (plain) flour
About 1 tsp easy-blend dried yeast
Scant ½–2⁄3 cup (100–150ml) warm water
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
FOR
THE ISRAELI SALAD:
2 ripe tomatoes, very finely chopped
1 small cucumber, very finely chopped
½ red onion, very finely chopped
½ green bell pepper, seeded and very
finely chopped
A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
leaves, very finely chopped
Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
A splash of olive oil
FOR
THE FILLINGS:
Harissa, to taste
5 x 6½oz (185g) cans good-quality tuna,
drained and flaked
5 cold hard-boiled eggs, peeled and
sliced
20 whole pitted (stoned) black olives
1lb 2oz (500g) cooked potatoes, sliced
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and patted dry
1 preserved lemon, drained and finely
chopped
To make the fricassee rolls, mix together the
sugar, salt, and egg. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and yeast. Add
the egg mixture, then gradually add enough warm water, mixing until you have a
soft, stretchy dough. Knead for about 5 minutes, then place the dough in a
clean oiled bowl, cover with a clean dish towel, and let rise in a warm place
for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Once risen, gently punch down (knock back) the
dough and knead again for a few minutes. Divide the dough into 10 pieces, then
shape each one into an elongated roll shape. Place on a baking sheet lined with
wax (greaseproof) paper, cover, and let rise again in a warm place for about 45
minutes, until doubled in size.
While the dough is proving (rising), make the
Israeli salad. Mix all the vegetables, the parsley, and lemon juice together
and season with salt and pepper. Add more lemon juice, if desired, and mix in a
splash of olive oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Once the rolls are ready to cook, pour some
vegetable oil into a deep frying pan or an electric deep-fat fryer and heat to
350°F (180°C). Deep-fry the rolls in batches for a few minutes on each side,
turning once, until golden all over and cooked through. Drain on paper towels
and keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest.
To assemble the sandwiches,
split the warm rolls, spread with harissa to taste, then layer on the tuna,
eggs, olives, potatoes, a sprinkle of capers, and a helping of Israeli salad.
Garnish with a few pieces of preserved lemon and
serve.
