Pascale's Kitchen: Fricassee Sandwiches for Hanukkah
This year, I decided to return to my roots and explain to my readers how to prepare Tunisian fricassee sandwiches, which I don’t often make during the year, except for the eight days of Hanukkah.
By PASCALE PEREZ-RUBINFricassee sandwiches for Hanukkah(photo credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)
Many people focus on sufganiyot (donuts) and other sweet treats on Hanukkah, but there are so many savory dishes involving fried foods that are also perfect to serve family and friends after we light the Hanukkah candles.This year, I decided to return to my roots and explain to my readers how to prepare Tunisian fricassee sandwiches, which I don’t often make during the year, except for the eight days of Hanukkah, since everyone always seems to be counting calories.Fricassee is known in the French kitchen as a stuffed chicken dish, but in the Tunisian kitchen? They are sandwiches made from long, fried rolls that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. With its delightful combination of flavors, fricassee is a popular dish often served at bar/bat mitzvot and henna ceremonies.What makes the fricassee special is that the rolls are fried and not baked. In addition, they are spread with spicy harissa (chili-pepper paste), as well as other Tunisian salads, such as torshi (pickled vegetables) made from pumpkin, light green zucchini and carrots.Fricassee sandwiches almost always include tuna in oil, and sometimes even anchovies, olives and lemon juice.If you’d like to prepare fricassee sandwiches for one of your Hanukkah celebrations, I recommend frying them as close to eating time as possible. Slice them and let your guests add whichever toppings they choose. Make sure, of course that you have lots of napkins on hand, though, since they are very oily.B’tayavon and Happy Hanukkah!FRICASSEEMakes 14-16 rolls.Dough:3½ to 4 cups flour, sifted2 Tbsp. oil2 heaping Tbsp. fresh yeast1 Tbsp. sugar1 beaten eggPinch of salt1½ cups lukewarm waterOil for fryingFilling:Harissa2 large potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed3 hardboiled eggs, quartered200 g. pickled vegetables in vinegar50 g. spicy pickled peppers, sliced into strips2 to 3 pickled lemons, cut into strips or 1 Tbsp. of pickled vegetables2 pickled cucumbers, chopped or sliced100 g. olives, pitted and halved2 to 3 cans of tuna in oil, drained and crumbledAdd the flour to the bowl of a mixer and form a well in the center. Pour the oil and yeast in the center and sprinkle the salt all around. Knead the dough with a dough hook and then gradually add the water. Keep mixing until dough falls away from edge of bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour.Knead the dough again and punch out the air. Separate into 14-16 pieces and form a flattened roll from each one. Let dough rise another 30 minutes.Heat oil in a pot for deep frying. Place the rolls in the oil with the puffy side facing down. Fry it for two minutes and then turn it over and fry until it’s golden brown. Remove and place on paper towels.Cut the fried roll in half and spread it with harissa. Add a few pieces of potato, eggs, vegetables, olives and tuna in any combination that you desire.Level of difficulty: Medium.Time: 1 hour.Status: Pareve.ROUND FRICASSEE “SUFGANIYOT” STUFFED WITH VEGETABLE LATKESMakes 20 fricassee rolls.For the fricassee dough:3.5 to 4 cups flour, sifted2 Tbsp. oil2 heaping Tbsp. fresh yeast2 Tbsp. sugar1 beaten eggPinch of salt1½ cups lukewarm waterOil for fryingFor the vegetable latkes:1 medium potato, peeled1 medium light-green zucchini5 scallions, chopped finely¾ cup parsley and cilantro, chopped3 cloves garlic, crushed1 tsp. harissa2 Tbsp. whole spelt flourSalt and pepper, to taste½ tsp. nutmeg¼ tsp. cumin1 to 2 small eggsOil for fryingPaper towelsTo prepare the fricassee dough, place the flour in the bowl of a mixer. Form a well in the center and add the oil and yeast. Sprinkle with salt. Knead with a dough hook and gradually add the water. Mix until dough falls away from sides of the bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for an hour in a warm place.Knead the dough again and punch out all the air. Roll out the dough and cut our circles with a glass. Let rise another 30 minutes.Heat the oil in a pot for deep frying. Place the circles in the oil with the fluffy side facing down. Fry for two minutes and then turn them over and fry until it turns golden brown. Remove and place on paper towels.To prepare the latkes, grate the potatoes and zucchini, drain all liquid, and then place in a bowl. Add the chopped onion, parsley, garlic and harissa. Mix and add the flour, spices and an egg. Mix well and if necessary, add the second egg.Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Place one spoonful of the mixture in the pan. Flatten gently with the back of a spoon. Try to make all of the latkes the same shape and size. Fry on both sides and then remove and place on paper towels.To pull together the round fricassee sufganiya, cut the fricassee roll open and spread harissa or any other spread you like and then add other ingredients, such as lettuce, parsley, scallion or red onion. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.Serve together.Level of difficulty: Medium.Time: 1 hour.Status: Pareve.TipascaleDo not reuse oil that was used for deep frying since it absorbs flavors from the previous frying, and also because it will be absorbed quicker in the next batch of dough.To check if the oil is hot enough for frying, stick a wooden spoon in the middle of the frying pan. If bubbles form around it, that means the oil is hot enough.Fry the latkes until the edges have browned and then flip and fry on other side.FILO DOUGH TRIANGLESMakes 8 to 10 triangles.6 to 8 potatoes2 onions, chopped8 sprigs of parsley, chopped (optional)2 eggs1 tsp. salt½ tsp. black pepper¼ tsp. turmeric10 brik (filo dough) sheets with 25-cm. diameter1 egg yolkOil for deep fryingPeel the potatoes and place them in a medium pot. Cover with water and cook for 40 minutes until they’ve softened. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a bowl. Mash them until they’re smooth. Add all the ingredients to the potatoes and mix. Taste and adjust seasoning.Place a spoonful on a piece of file dough and fold in half to form a triangle. Seal the edges and brush on egg yolk.Heat the oil for deep frying and add a few triangles at a time. Cook until they turn brown and then remove. Serve hot.Level of difficulty: Medium.Time: 1 hour.Status: Pareve.For more recipes visit the website.Translated by Hannah Hochner.
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