Chicken Pastilla

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For this Monday’s meat recipe, I chose the famous traditional Moroccan chicken pastilla.

Pastilla (pastry in Spanish) or Bastilla (as pronounced in Morocco) is a rustic sweet and savory circular phyllo pastry pie filled with tender shredded chicken, a delicious egg filling seasoned with warm North African spices and a cinnamon-flavored almond mixture. It is a scrumptious Moroccan delicacy and one of the most elegant and refined dishes in the Arab-Andalusian cuisine. A delightful dish that will beautify your table and brighten any special occasion.

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Chicken Pastilla

Yield: 8

Author: Fida Milki

Ingredients

For the chicken-egg filling:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 3 pounds skinless chicken( breasts or thighs or a mix)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• A pinch of saffron threads
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 6 eggs

For the almond filling:

• 2 cups blanched roasted almonds
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 5 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tbsp orange blossom water

For the dough:

• 12 sheets phyllo dough
• 6 tbsp melted butter

Instructions

1. Heat the oil and butter in a pan and add the onions.
2. Sauté for 2 minutes then mix in the chicken.
3. Add the salt and pepper, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon. Mix well and cook stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.
4. Mix the saffron with the water and pour over the onion-chicken mixture.
5. Bring everything to a boil then cover the pan and let simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Transfer the chicken to a platter to cool. Bring the sauce to a boil and let simmer uncovered until it thickens.
7. Shred the chicken. Add the eggs to the reduced sauce and stir until fully cooked. Transfer the eggs to a platter and let sit.
8. Place the roasted almonds in a food processor. Add the cinnamon, sugar and orange blossom water. Blitz until powdery.
9. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 C).
10. Brush a 9-inch round baking pan with butter. Place 2 phyllo sheets in the baking pan leaving 1/3 of them overhanging.
11. Brush with butter then add 4 more layers to make sure that the whole pan is covered all around. Brush with butter.
12. Spread the egg mixture all over the bottom. Top with 2 sheets and brush with butter.
13. Spread the shredded chicken over the buttered sheets and top with 2 more sheets. Brush with butter.
14. Finish with the almond mixture and top with the remaining 2 sheets. Fold the overhanging sheets. Brush with butter. Place the pastilla in the heated oven.
15. Bake for 30 minutes until golden.
16. Take it out and let sit for 5 minutes before flipping it on a serving platter.
17. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Garnish with almonds.
18. Serve warm and enjoy!