Brick or brik
Form: Sheet or leaf of bread
Country of origin: Tunisia
What distinguishes it from other methods of bread making: Paper-thin wheat dough cooked on a hot metal plate
Category of bread: (1 and 7) A sheet of brik pastry is almost identical to a sheet of Turkish yufka. In Turkey, it is used to make börek, and exists in one form or another throughout the Mediterranean perimeter
Particularity: Brik refers to the sheet of pastry used to make the dish, stuffed with meat or tuna, as well as to the dish itself
Ingredients: Wheat flour; fine semolina; salt; oil to grease hot plate or frying pan
Tunisia
The renowned Tunisian brik, so crunchy and that pleasantly falls to pieces when you put your teeth into it, before revealing all its rich flavors, is in reality a Turkish invention. The Ottomans carried it in their packs in the 16th century, and it ended up spreading over the entire Maghreb and even beyond. In the form of börek or brik, this leaf pastry, in the shape of a triangle, cigarette or French mille-feuille (Napoleon), has conquered many a palate and heart.
Both making and use of these brik leaves, also referred to as brioua, or yufka leaves, like they use in Turkey, of course require a lot of precautions, since they are so thin and delicate. Once they’ve been cooked on a hot plate or in oil, they break terribly easily, and it is necessary that they hold together before using them for cooking. They can be protected by wrapping them in a damp cloth. Industrial ones are of course vacuum-packed. If these precautions are not taken, they can no longer be folded for use in cooking.
The filling – whether it be a sweet and savory Moroccan pastilla (squab or chicken with onion, parsley, toasted ground almonds, cinnamon and egg) or a Tunisian brik (tuna with capers, oil and lemon juice, or spinach with feta, garlic, shallots, and cilantro) – is put in the middle of the leaf, which is then folded over to the shape desired, usually a triangle.