Pita grilled cheese with North African influences
Makloub is a Tunisian street food. Here we substitute the traditional msemmen bread with easier to source pita. Only 4 ingredients: pita, merguez sausage, onion, and American cheese.
Recipe
Makes: 3 | Time: <15 min
Ingredients
- 3 pita
- 6 small merguez
- 5 slices American singles cheese (1.5 per pita)
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- Hot sauce to serve
- 1tsp oil, to fry
Method
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Slice merguez lengthwise and pan fry cut side down.
- Meanwhile julienne the onion, and open pitas in half (picture above).
- Once merguez are cooked assemble the pitas. For 1 pita:
- 2 merguez (4 half merguez)
- onion
- 1.5 slice American singles cheese (or however much is needed to cover the surface of your pita)
- On medium heat, grill the pitas in the same pan you used for the merguez (the leftover oil will season your bread). Cook for 3 to 5 min per side (covered). The pita should be lightly golden and the cheese melted.
- Serve with hot sauce of your choice or mayo.
Substitutions
I highlight here the core that makes the soul of the dish and suggest possible substitutions to adapt the makloub to your preferences, diet and ingredients available to you.
Core: Merguez sausages. Whilst the msemmen bread ought to be the core here the Tunisian notes are bought by this flavourful sausage generally spiced with cumin, chilli peppers or harissa.
Substitutions: The cheese, the bread, other fillings.
| Recipe components | Possible substitutions* |
| Merguez sausage | Ideally keep the merguez but you could also use: • Other sausages: chipolatas or lamb sausage • Grilled chicken |
| Pita bread | • Msemmen (Tunisian flatbread) for a traditional makloub • Other bread / flatbread of choice |
| American singels | • Cheese triangles • Any other cheese of choice |
| Other fillings | • Crudités (tomatoes, lettuce) • Olives |
| Sauce (in the sandwich or on the side) | • Harissa / Harissa yogurt mix • Mayo • Peri Peri • etc. |
The Global Homecook 