Name: Moroccan Pastilla with Chicken and Almonds
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 1 cake
Ingredients: 700 g chicken; 2 pcs onion; 3 cloves garlic; 1 handful coriander; 0.5 handful parsley; 0.5 teaspoon ground pepper; 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger; 0.5 teaspoon turmeric; 1 pinch saffron; 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 200 ml water; olive oil; salt; 4 pcs eggs; 1.5 handful almonds; 4 teaspoons powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 12 slices fillo pastry; 1 tablespoon powdered sugar; 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon; butter

Step by step process

Preparation

1
Finely chop the onion and press the garlic. Coarsely chop the cilantro and flat-leaf parsley. Moroccan pastilla with chicken starts here: clean the chicken thighs and cut them into larger pieces.
2
Briefly toast the almonds in a dry pan until fragrant and lightly browned. Then coarsely chop or pulse in a food processor and mix with powdered sugar and ground cinnamon for the sweet almond layer.
TIP:
Roast the nuts in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Roasting enhances their aroma and flavor, significantly improving the dish.
3
Remove filo pastry from the package and cover with a clean towel to prevent drying. Melt the butter for brushing in a small saucepan over low heat.

Cooking

4
Heat olive oil in a wide pot, add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and saute for 6-8 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, ground ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and pepper and let them cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
5
Add the chicken, saffron and enough water to almost cover the meat. Salt to taste, cover and simmer over medium heat for 25-30 minutes until tender.
6
Remove the cooked meat with a slotted spoon onto a plate, let it cool briefly, then shred into fibers or chop into small pieces. Reduce the broth in the pot uncovered to about half its volume.
7
Stir the chopped cilantro and parsley into the reduced sauce. Pour in the beaten eggs and cook over very low heat, whisking constantly, for 3-5 minutes until you get a moist egg mixture similar to a soft stuffing. It should not be dry.
TIP:
Cook the eggs over low heat and whisk them continuously. By carefully controlling the temperature, you prevent curdling and achieve a smooth, tender consistency ideal for stuffing or cream.

Assembly and Baking

8
Line a 26-28 cm baking dish with parchment paper. Layer 6 sheets of filo on the bottom with edges overhanging the sides, brushing each sheet with melted butter.
9
Spread the egg mixture over the pastry, then add the shredded chicken, and finish with the sweet almond mixture. Fold the overhanging edges over the filling and cover with the remaining 6 sheets of filo, brushing each with butter.
10
Brush the top layer with butter, pierce in several places with a knife and bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for 25-35 minutes until golden and crispy.
TIP:
Bake phyllo dough at 180 °C, watch for a golden color on the surface, and brush butter between the layers. After piercing, the dough remains crispy and evenly baked.
11
After baking, let the pie rest for at least 10 minutes. Sprinkle the surface with powdered sugar and cinnamon and serve cut into wedges.

More tips:

Pastilla tastes best made with chicken thighs for extra juiciness. Chicken breasts tend to dry out after baking, so if using them, mix in an extra spoonful of butter.

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