tagine malsouka — Tunisia

Tagine malsouka is composed of malsouka, paper-thin sheets of wheat dough related to the pastry used for brik, layered in a round dish with a savory filling and baked until set. Despite its name, it is not cooked in the earthenware pot used elsewhere in the region, and the finished pie holds together enough to be sliced and handled like a firm cake. It is reported from households across Tunisia, appearing on festive tables and as part of everyday cooking. The name comes from the Arabic root meaning to stick, describing the technique of pressing a ball of dough onto a heated pan to peel off each thin sheet, a skill many home cooks learn from watching a parent or grandparent. To prepare it, minced meat or tuna is browned with onion and spices, then mixed off the heat with chopped parsley, grated cheese and beaten eggs. Malsouka sheets are layered in an oiled dish, spread with the filling, topped with more sheets, brushed with oil and baked until golden and set through. Where the tagine of Algeria and Morocco names a pastilla-style serving vessel for a stew, in Tunisia the same word names the dish itself. It is also distinguished by being sliced into wedges and often eaten cold as a finger food, packed for picnics or offered at gatherings, rather than served hot from the pot.