Malsouka tajine

Malsouka tajine : Tunisian baked egg casserole.

Ingredients

• 300 g boneless chicken in small pieces
• 300 g eggs without shells
• 80 g grated cheese
• 136 g malsouka or brik pastry sheets
• 100 g finely sliced onion
• 25 g washed parsley, chopped
• 40 g olive oil
• 2 g turmeric
• 4 g salt

Preparation

Wash, drain and prepare boneless chicken in small pieces, finely sliced onion, washed parsley, chopped. Cut evenly for consistent cooking. Boil two of the six eggs for 10 minutes, cool, peel and chop; beat the other four into the filling. Reserve 20 g oil for the pastry and 20 g for the chicken.

Heat the allotted oil and sauté boneless chicken in small pieces, finely sliced onion over medium heat for 12 minutes, stirring without burning.

Let boneless chicken in small pieces, finely sliced onion cool for about 10 minutes before proceeding; do not add a piping-hot filling to eggs or delicate pastry.

Combine boneless chicken in small pieces, finely sliced onion, eggs without shells, grated cheese, washed parsley, chopped, turmeric, salt in a bowl. Mix until evenly combined without unnecessarily crushing the pieces.

Lightly oil the malsouka with the reserved oil. Line the tin with overhanging sheets, add the filling, fold in and close with the remaining sheets.

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Bake in a suitable dish for about 30 minutes, checking the colour and the centre.

Check that the centre is set with no liquid egg; the top may brown before the middle is fully cooked.

Rest for 10 minutes before cutting or portioning. This brief rest stabilises the texture without drying the food.