Chicken Pastilla ( Moroccan Pie)
Pastilla is sometimes called Bastilla. This recipe uses chicken as the main meat filling. The filling of chicken, almonds, and eggs wrapped in phyllo pastry is usually served by itself as the main course. the dish is a mix of sweet and savoury with warm notes coming from the cinnamon, ginger, and sweetness from the icing sugar.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs, cooked, chopped
- 1 large brown onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1 packet phyllo pastry
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- In a pan add 1 tablespoon of canola and cook chicken thighs till browned on each side for about 5-10 minutes or until and a golden colour. Set aside to cool slightly and then slice into bite-sized pieces.
- In the same pan fry the onion and ginger. Add cinnamon, sugar and season with salt. Pour in chicken stock and simmer. Add cooked chicken and mix. Add beaten egg to stock to thicken the sauce. Sprinkle the sliced almonds onto the mix and mix with the chicken and stock, then set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 180C. Using a 26cm round springform tin. Take out the phyllo pastry and brush the melted butter on a sheet of phyllo pastry and layer the tin with eight sheets of buttered phyllo. Add half of the chicken mixture, then add four more layers of the phyllo on top and add the remaining chicken mixture. Smooth out the chicken mixture and put another two layers on top. Fold the phyllo over the top to seal the filling in.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the pastilla from the baking tin and flip it back into the tin and put it back into the oven for 5 minutes till golden. Take out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes then serve and enjoy.
