Casse Croute, Tunisian Spicy Tuna Sandwich

Published on August 27, 2019 | By

Casse-croute literally means a snack or a little food to eat between meals and is the Tunisian version of a french pan bagnat. I have fond memories of traveling in Europe as a student and discovering this spicy Tunisian sandwich being prepared and sold from a window at a tiny corner establishment in the Latin Quarter in Paris. I was drawn to the Latin Quarter because not only was it an international student gathering place, but the neighborhood, or quartier, was filled with inexpensive restaurants serving cuisines from around the world. I had never sampled the foods of North Africa. I became addicted to the Moroccan couscous at Au Bon Couscous and the Casse Croute Tunisienne. The Tunisian purveyor also served these memorable huge fried donuts that were like beignets but sprinkled with granulated sugar. They were to die for, especially at the end of a long night strolling the streets of Paris.

Last year I returned to Paris to visit friends. I was amazed to discover that after many many years  Au Bon Couscous was still operating and thriving and the couscous was just as I remembered. Alas, the Tunisian store front was no longer in existence. My french friends knew exactly what I was talking about and with their help we pieced together our long ago memories of this spicy sandwich to recreate this recipe. Voila et bon appetit!

    • Prep Time
    • Minutes
    • Cook Time
    • Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 -9 oz can of tuna in oil, drained
  • 4 small red new potatoes, boiled and diced
  • 2 TBSP capers
  • 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 2 banana peppers, or another mild pepper of your choice, seeded and sliced into rings
  • 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
  • 1 TBSP red or white onion, minced
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 2 TBSP chopped parsley
  • 10 black olives, pitted, can leave whole or slice in half
  • 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced into circles
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • Harissa, a north African spicy chili sauce
  • 4 small hoagie rolls, slightly warmed

Instructions

  1. The assembly method for the cases croute is free form. Drain the tuna and put it in a small bowl. Add diced potatoes, capers and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Add a little olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
  2. Prepare the Salade Tunisienne: Combine the chopped tomatoes, pepper slices, cucumbers, onion, black olives and parsley in a small bowl. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon. Season with salt, pepper and a little olive oil.
  3. Cut the hoagie rolls or french rolls in half. Scoop out the excess dough so that you have created a well in each piece of bread. Test the harissa for spiciness and use only what you think you can handle. Slather the harissa on both sides of the bread. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
  4. Fill the sandwich with the tuna, caper and potato mixture. Next add a layer of the salade Tunisienne, and 203 slices of hard boiled egg. You can drizzle a little more olive oil over all of the ingredients at this point if you wish. Close the sandwich with the other half of the roll. Open wide and take a big bite. This can be a complete meal for me for lunch rather than a casse croute or snack. Enjoy these unique, bold flavors of North Africa. Save the remainder of the harissa for when we make Moroccan couscous this fall!
spicy tuna sandwich
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