Brik (Egg-stuffed pastry for one serving)
- 1 sheet phyllo pastry measuring about 16 or 17 inches square
- 1 teaspoon peanut oil
- 1 teaspoon drained, flaked tuna (see note)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon finely minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon drained capers
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh coriander
- Salt to taste, if desired
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 18 teaspoon ground cumin Oil for frying
- 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.
peanut oil, egg, onion, capers, parsley, fresh coriander, salt, freshly ground pepper, cayenne pepper, ground cumin oil
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/5345 (may not work)