A terrific make-at-home meal from the Southern Mediterranean
With tuna, harissa, and preserved lemons on special during the Summer Sale, it seems a good time to write about Sandwich Tunisien—a sandwich that brings together the best of Tunisia’s ingredients into a single, delicious, easy-to-make, made-to-transport sandwich.
The Sandwich Tunisien is to the central part of the Southern Mediterranean what a Pan Bagnat would be in Provence, or what the Po’ Boy, Philly Cheese Steak, or Reuben are to their respective regions—a classic that every kid grows up with, comfort food par excellence, a meal you can buy at a streetcart, or make quickly, while marveling at how good every bite will be!
Both the Pan Bagnat and the Sandwich Tunisien are based on long-standing favorite foods of the Mediterranean—tuna, olive oil, olives, capers, vegetables. In Tunisia, they take the concept to another level by adding harissa and preserved lemons. You can vary the ingredients a bit to fit your own desires, but the keys to a really good Tunisien are the harissa, the tuna, and the addition of other good vegetables.
To assemble your own sandwich, start with a good sized bit of the hand-rolled French baguette, cut in half, or a Paesano roll from the Bakehouse. Brush it with some of the Mahjoub’s extra virgin olive oil, then add a generous spread of the harissa. Lay on some tuna (the Ortiz tuna from Spain is my pick), then toss on other good stuff: chopped up preserved lemon, capers, onion, olives, pickled vegetables, roasted red peppers … Press it all together and eat! The flavors meld beautifully the longer it sits, so it’s great beach food. Makes me hungry just thinking about it!
In Tunisia the sandwich is also called casse croute, and/or fricassé. Munya, one of two cousins who came together to create the website Tunisian Table, shares,
I can still remember my first fricassé experience like it was yesterday. … That first bite is all you need to be addicted and what follows is the perfect marriage between sweet and savory, soft and crunchy. There’s an initial crunch in the first bite of the fried exterior, followed by a pillow-like quality of the slightly sweet, fluffy doughy interior. The brininess from the olives and tuna are balanced out by small cubes of starchy potatoes and creamy hard boiled eggs, and of course harissa is the magic ingredient that ties it all together and gives it the signature Tunisian kick. It’s the street food sandwich of contradictions and it’s perfect.
I learned about this lovely meal when I first went to visit Tunisia about 20 years ago. It’s a great combination, equally good when it’s freshly made, but also a few hours out from the kitchen when the oil is nicely soaked into the bread and the flavors have set up really well. Great for picnics, lunches, dinners, or in mini versions for a party. You could probably even turn it into a two-foot sub to celebrate 4th of July, or maybe Big Ten football this coming fall and bring the taste of Tunisia to your table!
A marvelous meal you can make in under ten minutes!
