Makes 6 large fried bread rolls
I love the great British sandwich: a world of civilization between two slices of bread, and the ultimate snack for clean-fingered folk. Tunisians take a different view: the sandwich is not a light snack you have on the go; it is a feast of a meal, with all manner of possible fillings, spreads and salads, served at the table with a stack of fried(!) buns, so that each person can create their own. If you are lucky or smart enough to have Tunisian friends, and are invited to fricassée night, your views of what a sandwich can be will change forever, and for the better. The fried buns are not greasy—just lovely bread in a crisp shell, but if frying them seems too indulgent (or too much work), any soft bread rolls will do. Or give the bread a miss altogether and have a make-your-own salad lunch.
320g all-purpose flour
½ tsp table salt
15g fresh yeast or 1 tsp dried yeast
½ tsp granulated sugar
180g/ml water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
vegetable oil for coating, oiling and frying
Place the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Put the yeast in a jug or small bowl with the sugar and water and stir to dissolve. You can use an electric mixer with a dough hook to make the dough, but it is just as easy to work this amount by hand. Pour the yeast mixture into the salted flour, combine and knead to a smooth consistency. Add the oil and continue kneading until you have a supple and shiny dough—this should take about 6–8 minutes. Divide the dough into six pieces, each about 85–90g. Shape the pieces into rough logs of about 6 inches long. Brush with lots of oil and set on an oiled tray to double in size (about an hour at room temperature, or faster if the weather is hot). Make sure to leave space between them so they don’t stick to each other.
Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large, deep frying pan (or if you own a deep fat fryer, use that). The oil should be about the depth of the top two segments of your finger if you stick it in—but do test the depth before you heat the oil, otherwise you will be very sore and the thought of a sandwich will no longer inspire you.
You can test that the oil is up to temperature either with a thermometer (it should be about 350°F) or by flicking in a little flour (it should fizz). You want to keep a nice, steady, medium heat so that the dough cooks through while developing a crispy exterior. Gently and very carefully place two or three dough logs in the oil, one at a time. Don’t crowd the pan—it’s fine to fry these in two or three batches. And don’t worry about leaving a few fingerprints in the dough; it is all part of the charm—your personal touch. Fry until the logs are golden on the underside (about 2–3 minutes), then flip and fry the other side for 2–3 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to remove carefully from the oil and transfer to a plate covered with some paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Repeat the process with the remaining dough logs.
As soon as the rolls are at a temperature that you can handle, fill and eat them. (See the following page for two of our favorite fillings.)