"What do you want as your first meal when you arrive?"

"Casse-croûte."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

For me, it is always the same answer. Although Tunisia is abundant in all sorts of delectable foods, and my relatives are more than eager to cook me up some elaborate welcome meal, it's always the same answer. I always want a casse-croûte and an ice cold Apla soda.

What better snack is there than a sandwich? Casse-croûte means just that: to have a snack. Walk out of any home or shop in Tunisia and you will have no problem locating a restaurant or food cart selling these satisfying sandwiches.

There are many variations of the casse-croûte, and we’ve included a few different notes in the recipe below. We’d love to hear from you in the comments section if you have a favorite way of preparing (or eating!) casse-croûte.

TUNISIAN CASSE-CROUTE RECIPE

Ingredients (Makes ~4 sandwiches)

1 baguette

Harissa (here is our homemade recipe or you can used store-bought)

Olives

4-6 baby cucumbers

1 large tomato

½ red or white onion

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can of tuna, preferably yellowfin

2 russet potatoes

Vegetable oil, for frying

3 eggs

Capers, optional

Preparation:

In a medium sized saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the eggs and cook on medium high for 7 minutes. Drain and let cool before peeling and slicing width-wise. (Tip: using the tip of a sharp knife, puncture a very small hole on top of the eggs penetrating just the outer shell. This ensures an evenly cooked, brightly colored egg).

Note: Casse-croûte can also be made with fried eggs instead of hard boiled. To do this, simply crack your eggs in a frying pan with a little oil heated between medium and medium high. Add salt and black pepper. Once the outer white and inner white of the eggs have set, flip the eggs gently. Cook for about 30 seconds to one minute, just until the other side has seared for a runny egg. (Leave for longer if you prefer a harder yolk.) Set aside on a plate until ready to assemble the casse-croûte.

Peel the potatoes and slice them into standard “french fry” sized pieces. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and add potatoes, turning them over when golden. Remove from pan and place on a paper-towel lined plate to absorb the excess oil. Salt them while they are still hot. (Tip: there are a few ways to test if the oil is ready for frying: Use a heat-safe thermometer, ideal temperature for frying is 375 degrees. Or, use one of the french fries to test the oil, if it starts to sizzle and bubble, it’s ready. One other trick is using the end of a wooden spoon, if bubbles form around it, you are ready to begin frying. Also, do not overcrowd the pan as the potatoes will not fry evenly; they may have to be done in batches.)

In the meantime, make your Tunisian salad. Chop the baby cucumbers, tomato, and onion and mix in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add a pinch of salt, a generous amount of ground black pepper, and let sit.

Take baguette and slice down the middle (length-wise) stopping before you’ve cut off the entire top half. Spread as much (or as little) harissa as you’d like on both sides of the bread. Spoon the Tunisian salad on the bottom half of the baguette, distribute the tuna evenly on top of the salad, then place the sliced egg. If you’d like, add french fries and/or capers to the sandwich and place the top half in place. Serve with olives.

Enjoy ☺

RECETTE D’UN CASSE-CROUTE TUNISIEN

Ingrédients ( pour 4 sandwiches):

1 baguette

De l’harissa

Des olives

4-6 petits concombres

1 grande tomate

½ oignon rouge ou blanc

De l’huile d’olive

Du sel et du poivre noir, à ajuster

1 boîte de thon, de préférence “yellowfin” (albacore)

2 pommes de terre (russet)

De l’huile végétale, pour faire frire

3 oeufs

Des câpres, facultatif

Préparation:

Dans une casserole moyenne, portez l’eau à ébullition. Ajoutez les oeufs et faites cuir à feu moyen pendant 7 minutes. Egouttez les oeufs et laissez-les se refroidir avant de les peler et de les couper en tranches.

Pelez les pommes de terre et coupez-les commes des frites. Faites chauffer l’huile végétale dans une casserole et ajoutez les pommes de terre, en les retournant quand elles sont dorées. Enlevez les pommes de terre et mettez-les sur une assiette couverte avec un papier essuie-tout pour absorber l’huile excessive. Ajoutez du sel pendant qu’elles sont toujours chaudes.

Pendant ce temps, préparez votre salade tunisienne. Coupez les concombres, la tomate et l’oignon et mélangez-les dans un bol avec 2 tblsp d’huile d’olive. Ajoutez un peu de sel et de poivre noir.

Prenez la baguette et coupez-la dans le sens de la longueur, sans la séparer entièrement. Etalez de l’harissa (autant que vous souhaitez!) sur les des 2 moitiés de la baguette. Mettez de la salade sur une des tranches, ajoutez le thon par dessus, et puis placez l’oeuf en tranches. Si ça vous plaît, ajoutez des frites et des câpres au sandwich et fermez le casse-croûte avec la seconde tranche. Servez avec des olives. Bon appétit!