Moroccan Chicken Pastilla
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen and NYT Cooking.
Spiced shredded chicken, honeyed onions, soft eggs and cinnamon-sugar almonds in a crisp buttered filo case, finished with icing sugar and a cinnamon lattice.
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Method
- 1
Soften the onions. Heat the oil in the large pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until very soft and translucent. Stir in the coriander, garlic, ginger, turmeric, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, saffron if using, salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes until fragrant. Cooking the onions slowly under a lid draws out their sweetness, which becomes the base of the whole filling.
- 2
Simmer the chicken. Add the chicken and the water, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook gently for 30-35 minutes until tender. The thickest piece should read at least 74 °C, though thighs are most tender at about 80 °C. Lift the chicken out, leave it to cool a little, and shred it into bite-size pieces.
- 3
Make it jammy. Stir the honey into the onions and cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring often, until golden and jammy with no liquid left. Leave to cool. Cooking off all the liquid is the key to a crisp base, because the filo can only stay flaky over a dry filling.
- 4
Toast the almonds. Heat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan). Toast the almonds on the tray for 8-10 minutes until golden, then cool and chop or crush them coarsely. Mix with the caster sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Toasting brings out a deeper, nuttier flavour that balances the sweetness.
- 5
Scramble the eggs. Beat the eggs and set 1 tbsp aside for glazing. Melt the 10 g butter in the small pan over medium-low heat and scramble the eggs gently for 3-4 minutes, until fully set with no runny egg left (71 °C). Cool. Soft, small curds give the filling a tender layer without making it wet.
- 6
Line the pan. Keep the oven at 180 °C (160 °C fan) and brush the 25 cm pan with melted butter. Brush 6 filo sheets with butter, one at a time, and lay them overlapping in a pinwheel so they cover the base and hang well over the rim. Spread the chicken over the base, then the onions, the eggs and finally the almond mixture, pressing each layer level.
- 7
Close the pie. Fold the overhanging filo up over the filling. Brush the remaining 4 sheets with butter and lay them on top, tucking their edges down the sides to make a neat, sealed round. Mix the last of the butter with the reserved egg and brush it over the top, which helps it bake to an even, shiny gold.
- 8
Bake until crisp. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is deep golden and crisp all over; the centre should read at least 74 °C. Because the fillings are already cooked, this bake is mainly about crisping the pastry and heating everything through.
- 9
Dust and serve. Leave the pie in the pan for 10 minutes, then slide it onto a board. Sift the icing sugar evenly over the top, then sift or drizzle the cinnamon in crossing lines to form a lattice. Cut into 8 wedges and serve warm.
Storage
Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat at 180 °C (160 °C fan) for about 20 minutes, until crisp and piping hot (74 °C), then dust with a little more icing sugar and cinnamon. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- large deep frying pan or wide pot with lid
- instant-read thermometer
- baking tray
- food processor or rolling pin
- small non-stick frying pan
- 25 cm ovenproof frying pan or deep pie dish
- pastry brush
- clean damp tea towel
- fine sieve
- wire rack
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 577 kcal |
| Protein | 34.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 34.7 g |
| of which sugars | 11.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 7.2 g |
| Fat | 34.4 g |
| of which saturates | 9.1 g |
| Fibre | 5.6 g |
| Salt | 1.42 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.9 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
