The Tunisian Recipes Preserved During a Nurse’s Night Shift

Shared by Eva Zaghdoun
Recipe Roots: Sfax, Tunisia > Nice, France > Paris and Washington D.C.

Friday nights during Eva Zaghdoun’s early childhood in Nice, a city along France’s Mediterranean coast, were bustling with family members in her grandparents’ one bedroom apartment. She and her three sisters, their parents, aunts, uncles and cousins, as many as 15 people would gather for Shabbat dinner. “It was always something that I remember,” Eva says. “Something that I miss in the U.S.” 

Her grandmother Henriette — Miss Tunisia in 1933 and one of 14 children — called Mamif in the family, prepared a parade of Tunisian dishes. Meals started with Coca-Cola and pistachios, then salads like mseir made with carrots and turnips, another with beets and cilantro, and slata mechouia, a grilled tomato and pepper salad. The small salad bowls were followed by a rotating offering of main courses like white beans cooked with cumin and beef, or couscous with okra and tomato, or meatballs, chicken and vegetables. To finish the meal, there was often a simple but rich chocolate mousse layered with rum-infused cookies. 

Eva’s grandfather Nathan (left) and grandmother Henriette (right) at their wedding in Tunisia in the 1940s.

Henriette emigrated in 1970, following some of her children, including Eva’s father Gérard who moved to France in the summer of 1967, a time when a wave of Jews were leaving the country. In France, Tunisian recipes bound the family together. When Eva’s parents met, her mom Annemarie (whose family has German roots) quickly dove into the Tunisian kitchen, learning her mother-in-law’s recipes. “In the summer of 1974, my mum used to go to my grandparents’ house and watched my grandmother as she was cooking,” Eva explains. 

Still, Henriette kept some details to herself, says Eva. “When she shared a recipe with my mum, she always ‘forgot’ to mention an ingredient or did not give the exact amount for something so my dad [would] always says ‘my mum’s food is better.’” Eva also recalls stories of her grandmother packing up food for her parents, but never enough for both of them. “Because [Mamif] wanted to make sure her son would always come back on shabbat,” Eva adds. 

Eva’s mother, Annemarie, and father, Gérard, of their wedding in 1975 in Nice, France.

Almost 50 years later, it is Annemarie and her daughters who are carrying Henriette’s Tunisian recipes forward. “My mom was a nurse at night,” Eva says. “When she was not caring for the patients because they were sleeping...That’s when she decided to write down recipes.” The family cookbook she created includes recipes from her side of the family like a great aunt’s souffle as well as a collection of Henriette’s recipes. 

Everytime Annemarie comes to visit Eva in Washington D.C. she makes the Tunisian recipes. And, when the family can’t be together for holidays, particularly Yom Kippur, Eva’s and all of her sisters (two in Paris, and one in Nice) make the couscous with meatballs to help them prepare for the fast. “All my sisters, we all eat the same thing,” Eva says. 

Over the years, some of the family recipes, changed slightly. Eva and her dad, who passed away in 2015, made notes in their copies of the cookbook, modifying recipes to their taste. “My mom always gets upset [saying]: ‘You changed the recipe, this is not what I wrote,’” Eva explains laughing. 

It’s not quite how Gérard saw things. Eva recalls: “He used to say ‘cooking is an art that never end[s].’” 

Boulettes with Chicken and Vegetable Soup and Couscous

Makes: 6 servings
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients
For the boulettes (meatballs):
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 cup of fresh cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped
1 ½  pounds ground beef
½ cup bread crumbs
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 eggs, divided
1 tablespoon water
2 cups flour
Canola oil for frying

For the boulettes sauce:
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water

For the soup:
3 tablespoons canola oil
6 chicken drumsticks or 4 chicken breasts, skin on and bone in
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
3 teaspoons ground cumin 
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 whole cloves, divided
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup of water
4 carrots, peeled and chopped into ½” to ¾” pieces
3 small turnips, peeled and chopped into ½” to ¾” pieces
2 cup of butternut squash, peeled and chopped into ½” to ¾” pieces
4 small yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into ½” to ¾” pieces
1 yellow onion, peeled
7 eggs
½ cup fresh cilantro minced
3 zucchinis, peeled and chopped into ½” to ¾” pieces
6 hearts of canned artichokes
2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

For the couscous:
1 6 to 8 ounce pack store-bought couscous
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Warm water  

Preparation 

1. Make the boulettes (meatballs): Place the onion and cilantro in a food processor and process until a smooth paste is formed, about 5 minutes. Transfer the paste into a large bowl. Add the beef, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and 3 whole eggs into the bowl. Mix well until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated into the meatball mixture. Take about 1 ½ tablespoons of the meatball mixture and shape it into an oval meatball. Place it into a platter and continue shaping the remaining mixture into meatballs. Set aside.

2. Prepare the sauce: Place 3 tablespoons of canola oil into a wide and deep pan over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes until browned. Add the tomato paste, 1 cup of water and salt. Mix and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer for about 3 minutes just until the tomato paste dissolves. Turn off the heat and set the pot aside.

3. Fry the boulettes: Place 2 cups of flour in a wide and shallow bowl. Crack 3 eggs into another wide and shallow bowl and add 1 tablespoon of water into the eggs. Beat the eggs well. Set aside. Put a wide and deep saucepan over medium high heat and add about ¾ inch of canola oil into the pot. While the oil is heating up, start dredging the meatballs. Take one meatball and gently place it into the bowl with flour, rolling it to cover all the edges with flour. Shake off any excess flour. Dip the floured meatball into the beaten eggs and roll the meatball so all the edges are covered with the egg. Shake off any excess eggs from the meatball. Once the oil is sizzling in the pan, gently place the dredged meatball into the oil. Repeat dredging about 5 more meatballs and place them into the oil (making sure not to overcrowd the pan). Fry the meatballs on each side until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the fried meatballs onto a paper towel lined plate and continue dredging and frying the remaining meatballs.

4. Braise the meatballs: Gently place the fried meatballs into the pan with the sauce that was set aside. Add enough water to just cover the meatballs ¾ the way up. Place the pan over medium high heat and simmer until the water is reduced in half and the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Set aside while you prepare the chicken and vegetable soup.

5. Make the soup: Place 3 tablespoons of canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is sizzling, add the chicken drumsticks in one layer and sprinkle the onions around the drumsticks. Sear the drumsticks on both sides until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Stir the onions occasionally until they are softened and lightly browned. Meanwhile, place the coriander, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, 2 cloves, tomato paste and ½ cup of water into a mixing bowl. Mix well until combined. Once the chicken is seared on both sides, add the spice, tomato paste and water mixture into the pot. Stir the chicken and onions in the sauce and cook for about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, turnips, butternut squash, and potatoes into the pan. Press 4 cloves into the surface of the whole onion and add it into the pot. Gently place the eggs with their shells into the pot over the vegetables. Add enough water to cover the eggs, chicken and vegetables. Cook the soup over a simmer and uncovered for 30 minutes. Add the zucchinis, artichokes and chickpeas and continue cooking for another 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken, vegetables and eggs are cooked through. Transfer the eggs from the pot and remove their shells. Place the peeled eggs back into the soup and set the soup aside. 

6. Cook the couscous: Place the couscous into a large heatproof bowl or baking dish. Add enough boiling water to just cover the couscous and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Once the couscous is ready use a fork to gently fluff and mix the couscous. 

7. To serve each individual portion: Place a small mound of couscous onto the plate, add one boulette, a chicken drumstick, an egg and some vegetables and soup over the couscous, add a teaspoon of harissa for some spice. Serve hot. 

Mseir (Carrot and Turnip Salad)

Makes: 6 servings
Total Time: 30 minutes active + 8 hours inactive

Ingredients
4 carrots, peeled and julienned 
3 small turnips, cleaned, quartered and thinly sliced crosswise
Juice of 1 lemon
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, deseeded and julienned
1 teaspoon salt 

Preparation
1. Place the carrots, turnips, lemon juice, peppers and salt into a bowl and mix gently.

2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for 8 hours. 

3. Serve at room temperature.

Beet and Cilantro Salad

Makes: 6 servings
Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
1 beet, peeled and very thinly sliced crosswise
½ bunch fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
Juice from half a lemon

Preparation
1. Mix the beets, cilantro, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice in a bowl well.

2. Serve at room temperature.

Slata Mechouia (Grilled Tomato and Pepper Salad)

Makes: 6 servings
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes active + 2 hours inactive

Ingredients
6 large plum tomatoes 
3 green bell peppers 
1 or 2  jalapeño  peppers
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 
Juice of half a lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil or more to taste

Steps
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. Use a knife to poke a small slit on each  jalapeño .

3. Place the tomatoes, green peppers,  jalapeño  peppers and garlic onto an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Transfer into the oven and roast for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the vegetables are browned and just tender.

4. Transfer all the vegetables from the oven. Place the garlic cloves onto a small plate and set aside.

5. Place the tomatoes, green peppers and  jalapeño peppers into a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for about 15 minutes. Discard the plastic wrap and once the vegetables are cool enough to handle, peel the green bell peppers, jalapeño peppers and tomatoes. Place the peeled tomatoes and peppers into a large colander set over a bowl. Let the vegetables drain for 2 hours.

6. Use a fork to smash the garlic that was set aside.

7. Transfer the drained vegetables onto a cutting board. Remove the seeds from the bell peppers. Finely chop all the vegetables and place them into a mixing bowl. Add the smashed garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice and mix well until combined. 

8. Serve immediately with bread or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container until serving.

Chocolate Mousse

Makes: 6 servings
Total Time: 40 minutes active + 8 hours inactive

Ingredients
7 ounces non dairy 60% dark chocolate 
5 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup grapeseed oil or vegetable oil
6 to 8 ladyfinger cookies
¼ cup rum plus 2 tablespoons water

Preparation
1. Add the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and set it over a double boiler (a small pot with about 4 inches of simmering water). Mix the chocolate as it melts and stir in the oil until combined well. Immediately remove the bowl from heat once all the chocolate has melted.

2. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and ¼ cup sugar into a seperate medium bowl until the mixture is smooth and pale yellow, about 3-5 minutes.

3. Pour half of the egg yolk mixture into the melted chocolate and whisk to combine. Add the remaining egg yolk and sugar mixture into the chocolate and whisk until completely combined and smooth. Set aside.

4. Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on low for 30 seconds and then increase the speed to medium for another 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar into the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed, being careful not to over beat (about 1 minute longer).

5. Gently whisk ⅓ of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture until combined. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites in 2 more equal batches until all the egg whites are folded into the chocolate mousse and there are no white streaks. 

6. Pour the rum and water into a small bowl. Dip both sides of one lady finger into the rum and place it into the bottom of an individual serving glass or bowl. Add enough chocolate mousse over the lady finger to fill the verrine. Continue filling the remaining 5 glasses with the remaining chocolate mousse and lady fingers.

7. Cover the glasses with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator or ideally overnight.

8. Serve cold for dessert.