Food

Savory Tunisian Beignets

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November 22, 2022

These Tunisian Beignets are called Fricassés. 

They come with delicious filling that would please everyone in the family!

Cook time: 3 hours for the dough to rise, fry the beignets and filling them up

Servings: 5 servings

This recipe reminds of summer in Tunisia, walking in the streets of La Marsa or La Goulette with my family. My mother would always buy us Fricassé when we we were out. They would be freshly fried and their smell will invite us from far away. All the families would enjoy the evening breeze eating these delicious beignets. They were extremely affordable and have all elements of Tunisian cuisine: Harissa, Tuna and Olive.

These fricassés reminds me of my late mother and my beautiful country Tunisia.

I hope to share with the world some of my culture and spread my mother legacy.

Thanks everyone for giving us the opportunity to share a piece of us and learn from other as well.

Directions

For the dough: 
  • 2/3 cup of milk, lukewarm
  • 1/4 cup of water, lukewarm
  • 1 pack of yeast
  • 1 tbsp of sugar
  • 3 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 2 tbsps olive oil
  • oil for frying
For the sauce
  • 2 to 3 tbsp of Harissa
  • 1 and 1/2 tbsp of water
For the stuffing
  • 3 hard boiled eggs, cut in pieces seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 1 russet potatoes, cut in cubes, boiled and seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 2 cans of chunk light tuna seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper

Directions

For the fricassés:

Step 1 : mix the water and milk together in a bowl. Add the sugar and yeast, mix and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Step 2: in a large bowl, add three cups of all purpose flour, the egg and the salt. Add the milk-water and yeast mixture with the olive oil.

3: mix together until a dough forms. Knead the dough for 7 to 10 minutes until its elastic and soft. Add more water if needed to make sure the dough is soft.

4: place the dough in a bowl and drizzle it with a tsp of olive oil. Cover and let it rise for 1h30 or until doubled.

5: once the dough has risen, deflate the dough and transfer it to a lightly floured surface.

6: using a rolling pin or glass jar like me, work the dough until spread about half an inch.

7: using a cookie cutter, a cup or a mason jar lid, cut circles around the dough. Using your fingers, change the shape of dough from a circle to an oval by stretching it gently. Place it on a slightly floured surface. Cover it.

8: repeat the process until all the dough is made into little fricassés. Let them rest until they rise again for about 45 minutes.

9: once the fricassés have risen, warm the oil on medium heat. Gently place the fricassé in the hot oil. With a spoon, gently cover the top of the fricassé with the hot oil to help it rise.

WARNING: be very careful, the oil is hot. Be very gentle, you just want the oil to touch the surface of the fricassé that is not submerged in oil.

10: remove the fricassé when they turn golden brown.

11: repeat the process. The fricassés can be fried two or three at the same time.

12: let them cool down before stuffing them.

Cut the fricassé like a pocket and spread 1 tsp of the harissa sauce. Stuff it potatoes, eggs and tuna. Finish with an olive and more harissa at the top.

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