Annaba Bourek: Crispy Meat & Egg Parcels
If you’ve ever bitten into a samosa and thought, ‘this is good, but I wish there was a runny egg inside’ — you’ve basically already imagined Annaba Bourek. This North African street food staple is the kind of thing that gets sold out of carts in the old city of Annaba before sundown, and once you understand the filling — spiced ground beef, mashed potato, melted cheese, briny olives, and a whole cracked egg sealed inside the pastry — you’ll wonder why it hasn’t taken over every weekend brunch table yet. But here’s the thing: that egg is everything, and it’s also the part most home cooks get completely wrong.
This recipe gives you a genuinely crispy brick pastry shell with a filling that stays moist and deeply spiced, and a yolk that’s still soft when you cut through. It takes about 30 minutes start to finish, uses ingredients you can find at any supermarket, and the folding technique is easier than it looks. No special equipment, no deep-fry thermometer — just a wide pan and a bit of confidence.
Pro Tip
The most common mistake is cracking the egg directly onto a wet or warm filling — the white starts to cook unevenly before you even fold the pastry, and by the time the outside is golden, the yolk is solid. Instead, let your meat filling cool completely before assembling (10 minutes off the heat is enough), and make a small well in the potato layer before you crack the egg in. That well holds the egg centered and keeps the white from spreading to the edges, which is exactly what causes the pastry to seal poorly and leak oil into the filling during frying.
Brick pastry sheets (also labeled ‘feuilles de brick’ or ‘brik pastry’) are stocked in Middle Eastern, North African, and halal grocery stores — increasingly in the international aisle of larger supermarkets too. In a pinch, spring roll wrappers work but fry faster, so watch closely. For the spreadable cheese, any creamy triangle-style processed cheese (think Laughing Cow style) does exactly what you need — it melts into the filling and binds everything together.
Annaba Bourek: Crispy Meat & Egg Parcels
6
servings15
minutes15
minutes345
kcal10
minutes40
minutesIngredients
6 brick pastry sheets (feuilles de brick)
6 large eggs
10.5 oz ground beef (300g), 15–20% fat
3 medium potatoes (about 14 oz / 400g total), boiled and mashed
1 large onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, grated
5 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp harissa paste (optional, for heat)
2 tbsp neutral oil (for the filling)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 oz pitted green olives (55g), sliced into rounds
2 oz grated cheese (55g) — mild cheddar or Gruyère
6 portions spreadable cheese (Laughing Cow triangles or similar)
Sunflower oil, for shallow frying
Directions
- Boil the potatoes. Cook until a knife slides through with zero resistance, then drain, mash with the butter, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Set aside to cool. The mash should be stiff, not creamy — if it’s too loose, it won’t hold the egg in place during folding.
- Cook the filling. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high, soften the onion for 3 minutes, then add the garlic, ground beef, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cook for 8–10 minutes, breaking up the meat, until no pink remains and the mixture smells warm and faintly sweet from the cinnamon — that’s your cue it’s ready.
- Finish and cool the filling. Stir in the parsley, remove from heat, and let the mixture rest for 10 minutes. This rest is non-negotiable — a hot filling will start cooking the egg white the moment you crack it in, which sets the yolk before the pastry even hits the oil.
- Assemble each bourek. Lay a brick sheet flat, spread a thin layer of harissa in the center if using, then spoon a square of mashed potato, leaving a small well in the middle. Arrange the meat, olive rounds, grated cheese, and pieces of spreadable cheese around the well, then crack one egg directly into it — the well keeps the yolk centered.
- Fold and seal. Fold the four sides of the pastry sheet inward over the filling, pressing gently to seal. The pastry should feel taut but not torn — if it tears, overlap the edges slightly and the oil will seal them shut during frying.
- Fry the boureks. Pour sunflower oil into a wide pan to a depth of about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) and heat over medium-high. Carefully lower each bourek seam-side down. For a runny yolk, fry 2–3 minutes per side over medium-high heat; for a fully set yolk, lower the heat and give it 4–5 minutes per side. The pastry should turn deep amber — not pale gold, not dark brown.
- Drain and serve immediately. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and serve within 5 minutes. The pastry crackles audibly when you press it lightly — that sound tells you the crust is properly crisp all the way through.
Variations
**Tuna filling:** Replace the ground beef with drained canned tuna mixed with a little mayonnaise, capers, and lemon zest — no cooking required, which makes assembly even faster. **Spice-free version:** Skip the harissa and halve the cinnamon if you’re cooking for kids or anyone sensitive to heat; the nutmeg alone still gives the filling real depth.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with thick wedges of lemon to squeeze over the top — the acidity cuts straight through the richness of the fried pastry. A simple tomato and cucumber salad dressed with olive oil and cumin works well alongside. A bowl of warm harissa on the side lets everyone dial up the heat to their own level.
FAQ
Can I make these ahead and reheat them?
You can assemble the boureks up to 2 hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge before frying. Already-fried boureks reheat well in an oven at 350°F (180°C) for 10–12 minutes — they crisp back up well, though the yolk will be fully set by then.
Can I freeze them?
Freeze them uncooked: assemble fully, lay flat on a tray to freeze solid, then wrap individually and store for up to 2 months. Fry straight from frozen over medium heat — they’ll need an extra 3–4 minutes per side.
What if I can’t find brick pastry sheets?
Spring roll wrappers are the closest substitute — use two sheets per bourek to get a similar thickness and fry at slightly lower heat since they brown faster. Phyllo works in a pinch but tears more easily and gives a flakier, less chewy result. After testing three versions in my own kitchen, the spring roll wrapper version was honestly the most forgiving for beginners — though it does make you wonder what the filling would taste like baked inside a flaky puff pastry instead.
