Hot food: Brik Tunisian pastry

What is it?

A deep-fried savoury pastry known in Tunisia as "brik" (pronounced "breek"), and in Morocco as "briouat". It's the best kind of eat-in-the-hand street food, with crisp, golden, filo-like warkha pastry outside, and tuna, potato, fresh cheese or a soft, runny egg inside. Brik is now appearing in a more contemporary, deconstructed form on smart menus around town, giving it a whole new lease of life.

Where is it?

At Monster Kitchen and Bar in Canberra, a sprawling new-generation restaurant inside the genre-busting Hotel Hotel, chef Sean McConnell goes beyond tradition with a menu listing of "pulled lamb shoulder, pistachio, yoghurt, vine leaf, pomegranate, brik". "We slow cook the lamb with cumin, cardamom, ginger and lemon, pull it apart and finish it in a lamb reduction with a touch of pomegranate molasses," he says. "Then we top it with crisped vine leaves, pistachio nuts and a pile of crisp-baked warkha pastry that we've broken up into shards in our hands."

The new salmon kibbeh neya at Melbourne's laneway-loving Maha is as dramatic and opulent as the restaurant's recent million-dollar makeover. "First we mince raw ocean trout with diced radish, mint, shallots, salt and lemon, then combine it with cracked wheat," says chef/owner Shane Delia. "Then we serve it with sweet and spicy candied harissa mayo under a theatrical dome of crisp shards of brik pastry that's been baked with olive oil and plenty of za'atar (wild thyme)."

Serving staff have to reassure diners that their kibbeh neya is lurking underneath. "When it comes to the table, people look at it and say 'where's my kibbeh neya?'," laughs Delia. "It's such a fun play on both kibbeh neya and on brik, they love it."

Why do I care?

Because it's hot, crisp, eggy and cheesy all at once; equally good for breakfast, brunch or lunch.

Can I do it at home?

The traditional malsouka or warkha pastry is similar to filo pastry, but Mediterranean food authority Paula Wolfert, my go-to girl on all things Tunisian and Moroccan, says spring roll wrappers make a great alternative.

Sourcing

Tunisian brik pastry is available online from Maison de Tunisie maisondetunisie.com and The Essential Ingredient essentialingredient.com.au (02) 9557 2388.

Spring roll wrappers are available from Asian food store freezers.

VIC
Maha, 21 Bond Street, Melbourne (03) 9629 5900 maharestaurant.com.au

ACT
Monster Kitchen and Bar, Hotel Hotel, 25 Edinburgh Avenue, Canberra (02) 6287 6287 hotel-hotel.com.au

Tuna, feta and spring onion brik

If you're feeling brave, swap the boiled egg for a raw egg, and fry for three minutes, keeping the egg inside soft and runny. Serve with fresh coriander, green olives and harissa paste or chilli sauce.

2 boiled eggs, plus 1 extra egg white, beaten

vegetable oil for deep-frying

200g canned tuna in oil, drained

100g feta cheese, crumbled

3 spring onions, finely chopped

sea salt and black pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

4 large spring roll wrappers

1. Peel the boiled eggs and cut each in half lengthwise.

2. Heat the oil in a deep pan to 180C.

3. Lightly toss the tuna, feta, spring onions, sea salt, pepper, cumin and coriander.

4. Place one spring roll wrapper on a board, and place one-quarter of the mixture in the centre. Top with half a boiled egg. Brush the beaten egg white around the edges, and close the pastry to form a triangle, pressing the edges together tightly to seal.

5. Lower the brik into the hot oil, and cook for two to three minutes, turning once, until golden.

6. Remove, drain on paper towel and serve hot, while you do the remaining briks.

Makes 4