Tunisian · Lunch & handhelds

Fricassé sandwich

Name: Fricassé sandwich
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Yield: 8 small sandwiches
Cuisine: Tunisian
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons instant yeast; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided; 1 cup warm water; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 6 cups neutral oil, for frying; 8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 3 large eggs; 1/3 cup Tunisian harissa; 2 tablespoons water; 10 ounces olive-oil-packed tuna, drained and flaked; 1/3 cup pitted black or green olives, sliced; 2 tablespoons capers, drained; 2 tablespoons minced preserved-lemon rind

Tunisian fricassé: soft golden fried rolls opened and packed with harissa, olive-oil tuna, potato, hard-cooked egg, briny olives, capers, and preserved lemon.

About 2 hr 50 minTotal

About 1 hr 20 minActive

$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 8 small sandwiches

Equipment

Use a high-temperature instant-read thermometer between batches; do not leave it in the pot.
Simple clip-on pick
KitchenAid Fry Thermometer · KQ907
View at Amazon
For frequent frying and alarms
ThermoWorks ChefAlarm · TX-1100
View at ThermoWorks
Another workable path: Use a high-temperature instant-read thermometer between batches; do not leave it in the pot.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We compared continuous readability, clip stability, temperature recovery help, cleaning guidance, and exact model identity. A current independent comparison informed the simple clip-on choice; manufacturer documentation established care and the alarm system's included parts. Kwilt has not calibrated or fried with these thermometers.
KitchenAid Fry Thermometer · KQ907: Its curved paddle and silicone-coated clip stay close to the pot, giving you a continuous oil reading without another screen or battery. Trade-off: It has no alarm, and KitchenAid says to hand wash rather than submerge it.
ThermoWorks ChefAlarm · TX-1100: High and low alarms make the oil drop between batches hard to miss, and the same system can monitor roasting, bread, and candy. Trade-off: It costs substantially more and brings a cabled probe, case, and controls that are unnecessary for an occasional batch of fish tacos.
Another workable path: If you already own a suitable high-temperature instant-read thermometer, check the oil before and between batches. Do not leave it in the pot unless its maker allows continuous high-temperature use.
Sources
Food Network tested comparison
KitchenAid thermometer care
ThermoWorks ChefAlarm

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 8 small sandwiches

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups neutral oil, for frying
8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 large eggs
1/3 cup Tunisian harissa
2 tablespoons water
10 ounces olive-oil-packed tuna, drained and flaked
1/3 cup pitted black or green olives, sliced
2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons minced preserved-lemon rind

Instructions

Mix flour, yeast, sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, warm water, and olive oil into a soft dough. Knead until smooth, cover, and rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Divide into eight pieces, shape into small pointed ovals, cover, and proof 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, simmer potatoes in plain water until tender but intact, 8 to 10 minutes; drain and cool. Lower eggs into simmering water for 10 minutes, chill in ice water, peel, and quarter.
Heat neutral oil to in a deep heavy pot. Fry dough in small batches, turning, until puffed and evenly deep gold, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on a rack and cool until safe to handle.
Mix harissa with 2 tablespoons water and remaining salt. Slit each roll lengthwise without cutting through. Swipe inside with harissa, then fill evenly with tuna, potato, egg, olives, capers, and preserved lemon. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TunisiaTunisian street and household cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Tunisian fricassé is a savory fried-bread street sandwich, distinct from the French stew, filled with tuna, potato, hard-cooked egg, harissa, olives, and capers.

Tunisian fricassé is a savory fried-bread street sandwich, not the French stew with a similar name. Tuna, potato, hard-cooked egg, harissa, olives, and capers form its familiar filling family. Tunisian Jewish memories are important to its story, while the often-repeated accidental-invention account remains oral history rather than settled fact. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Keep the recognizable Tunisian fried roll and complete classic filling, adding preserved lemon only as a small local accent and presenting the Jewish origin memory without turning oral history into fact.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe