Thon Ohror — The Moroccan Tuna Sandwich
This is not a tuna melt.
There's a sandwich I ate constantly growing up in Casablanca. After soccer. After surfing. At the market. As a celebratory meal after scoring a new pair of Jordans. In Morocco, we call it Thon Ohror — and those who know it live for it. A single bite brings a smile to your face, a reminder of warm, sunny days.
It's tuna mixed with mayo and harissa, spread onto a crusty baguette and layered with soft-boiled egg, green olives, potato, cornichons, red onion, and parsley. Nothing melted. Nothing fussy. Just a sandwich that earned its own name.
I love watching people try it for the first time — the textures, the flavors, the history all landing at once. Especially that warm heat from the harissa. That part never gets old.
Ingredients
Serves 2–4, depending on hunger and sides
2 cans good tuna in olive oil
3 tbsp mayo, plus more for the bread
4 tbsp Villa Jerada Harissa
1 baguette (Vietnamese-style or ciabatta)
½ cup green olives, sliced crosswise
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
2 soft-boiled eggs, sliced crosswise, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 boiled potato, sliced crosswise, seasoned with salt and pepper
¼ Villa Jerada Preserved Lemon, sliced
8 cornichon pickles, sliced crosswise
Big handful of flat-leaf parsley, whole or roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Mix the tuna, mayo, and harissa together until well combined.
Slice the baguette lengthwise and spread mayo thinly on both sides.
Spread the tuna mixture generously onto the bottom half of the bread.
Layer the remaining ingredients — egg, potato, olives, onion, preserved lemon, cornichons, parsley — evenly and to your pleasure. There's no wrong order. Just build it like you mean it.
Watch Mehdi Make It
See how it comes together — and why the layering matters.
Shop the Ingredients
Everything you need is below. The harissa and preserved lemon are what make this sandwich — the rest you can find at any good market.
[ SHOP VILLA JERADA HARISSA ] [ SHOP VILLA JERADA PRESERVED LEMON ]