it is so wonderful!! (just typing it has made me cross-eyed) There is nothing complicated about it but I warn you, it takes some time. It is thoroughly worth it. Just vary the amounts of cinnamon according to your taste.
Chicken Pastilla
From Middle Eastern Cooking by Suzy Benghiat
This famous Moroccan festive dish is usually made with pigeons. It takes a long time to prepare, and is quite complicated, though not actually difficult. The spectacular result is well worth the time and effort. This version was shown to me by Fatima Ma'toughi. If making Pastillafor thefirst time, I advise you to prepare the two fillings in advance.
2 T. oil
1 ½ lb. onions
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 strand saffron or 1 t. turmeric
1 ½ t. ground ginger
1 t. ground cinnamon (or more)
1 medium chicken, about 3 lb.
1 1/4 c. very finely chopped parsley
1 2/3 c. peeled almonds
2-3 T. sugar
1 ½ T. ground cinnamon
juice of ½ lemon
7-8 large eggs
2 T. butter
1 lb. pkg. filo pastry
To Serve:
3-4 t. icing sugar
3-4 t. ground cinnamon
1. Choose a saucepan or flame-proof casserole that will comfortably tgke the chicken pieces and onions: they should no more than half fill it, so that they will be easy to turn. Pour in oil to a depth of I in. and set over medium heat. Grate the onions and add, stirring from time to time. Thinly slice the garlic and add with the salt, pepper, saffron, ginger and a teaspoonful of ground cinnamon. Cut up the chicken and add. Raise the
heat a little and cook for about I hour, turning the pieces from time to time.
2. Add the parsley. Cook, covered, for another 30 minutes, or until the meat comes easily off the bones.
3. Dry roast the almonds, grind them roughly and mix with the sugar and the rest of the cinnamon. Set aside.
4. When the chicken is cooked, remove the pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Strain the contents of the pan through a double layer of cheesecloth into a bowl. Reserve the liquid and return the parsley and onions to the pan. Add the lemon juice and break 6 or 7 eggs into the pan. Stir gently until they begin to set. The whole mixture should have the texture of a puree. (do not overcook) Set aside while you skin and bone the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces.
5. Melt the butter and use some to grease your largest roasting pan. Put a piece of filo pastry lengthwise in the center, moisten lightly all over with fingers dipped in reserved chicken stock. and set a second sheet of filo the same size on top. Follow the step-by-step instructions opposite. (Moisten each sheet of filo in this way to prevent their sticking together. Arrange more sheets of filo radiating outwards like the petals of a flower, with the inner end of each resting on the first two sheets and the outer end hanging over the edge of the roasting pan. Overlap the sheets until they are about 4 layers thick in all.
6. Pile the chicken pieces onto the filo in a tidy rectangle the same size as the first two sheets. Spread the parsley mixture on top. Cover with one sheet of filo. One by one, lift up the outer ends of the top layer of the overlapping filo sheets, fold each one over the rectangle and stick each one lightly in place by moistening with your fingers dipped into the beaten egg. Take care to keep the rectangle compact.
7. Add most of the rest of the melted butter to the almond mixture and check the balance of flavors: the almond, cinnamon and sugar should be distinct, without overwhelming each other. Correct the proportions if necessary. Spread this mixture on top of the now nearly completed pie and smooth it gently with your fingers. Place z more layers of filo pastry on top, lengthwise, exactly like the first zlayers. Fold over and stick down the remaining outer sheets of filo as in step 6. Check that the filling is evenly protected by the pastry all around. To complete the package, place more sheets of filo crosswise over it and tuck underneath. Preheat the oven to 350̊F.
8. Brush the pastilla with the remaining melted butter and bake for about 3̊ minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool a little, then decorate with alternating trails of confectioner's sugar and cinnamon.
My notes:
If your sink is backing up, don’t let it take your attention away from the cooking chicken. You don’t want to overcook.
Allow 45 minutes from end of step 4.
An absolutely WONDERFUL delight. VERY time-consuming.
Pastry instructions:
1. Lay a rectangular sheet of ilo in a large roasting pan that is just slightly larger than the sheet. Brush pastry with chicken stock & lay another sheet straight on top to form base.
2. Arrange more sheets overlapping each other as if the petals of a flower with the base being the centre. Brush each with stock as you go along
3. Pile chicken mix onto pastry, then spread on the parley mix. Cover with a rectangle same size and position of the base. Brush it with stock.
4. One by one, fold the top layer of overlapping sheets into the centre of the rectangle and stick each in place by moistening it with beaten egg. Spread the almond mix on to, then a double layer of rectangles of fil the same size as the base. Fold over and stick down the remaining overlapping sheets as before.
5. Lay 2 or 3 rectangles of filo crosswise over the package.
6. Tuck the edges of the crosswise sheets underneath the package, which should be neat, completely enclosing the filling.
Chicken Pastilla
From Middle Eastern Cooking by Suzy Benghiat
This famous Moroccan festive dish is usually made with pigeons. It takes a long time to prepare, and is quite complicated, though not actually difficult. The spectacular result is well worth the time and effort. This version was shown to me by Fatima Ma'toughi. If making Pastillafor thefirst time, I advise you to prepare the two fillings in advance.
2 T. oil
1 ½ lb. onions
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 strand saffron or 1 t. turmeric
1 ½ t. ground ginger
1 t. ground cinnamon (or more)
1 medium chicken, about 3 lb.
1 1/4 c. very finely chopped parsley
1 2/3 c. peeled almonds
2-3 T. sugar
1 ½ T. ground cinnamon
juice of ½ lemon
7-8 large eggs
2 T. butter
1 lb. pkg. filo pastry
To Serve:
3-4 t. icing sugar
3-4 t. ground cinnamon
1. Choose a saucepan or flame-proof casserole that will comfortably tgke the chicken pieces and onions: they should no more than half fill it, so that they will be easy to turn. Pour in oil to a depth of I in. and set over medium heat. Grate the onions and add, stirring from time to time. Thinly slice the garlic and add with the salt, pepper, saffron, ginger and a teaspoonful of ground cinnamon. Cut up the chicken and add. Raise the
heat a little and cook for about I hour, turning the pieces from time to time.
2. Add the parsley. Cook, covered, for another 30 minutes, or until the meat comes easily off the bones.
3. Dry roast the almonds, grind them roughly and mix with the sugar and the rest of the cinnamon. Set aside.
4. When the chicken is cooked, remove the pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Strain the contents of the pan through a double layer of cheesecloth into a bowl. Reserve the liquid and return the parsley and onions to the pan. Add the lemon juice and break 6 or 7 eggs into the pan. Stir gently until they begin to set. The whole mixture should have the texture of a puree. (do not overcook) Set aside while you skin and bone the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces.
5. Melt the butter and use some to grease your largest roasting pan. Put a piece of filo pastry lengthwise in the center, moisten lightly all over with fingers dipped in reserved chicken stock. and set a second sheet of filo the same size on top. Follow the step-by-step instructions opposite. (Moisten each sheet of filo in this way to prevent their sticking together. Arrange more sheets of filo radiating outwards like the petals of a flower, with the inner end of each resting on the first two sheets and the outer end hanging over the edge of the roasting pan. Overlap the sheets until they are about 4 layers thick in all.
6. Pile the chicken pieces onto the filo in a tidy rectangle the same size as the first two sheets. Spread the parsley mixture on top. Cover with one sheet of filo. One by one, lift up the outer ends of the top layer of the overlapping filo sheets, fold each one over the rectangle and stick each one lightly in place by moistening with your fingers dipped into the beaten egg. Take care to keep the rectangle compact.
7. Add most of the rest of the melted butter to the almond mixture and check the balance of flavors: the almond, cinnamon and sugar should be distinct, without overwhelming each other. Correct the proportions if necessary. Spread this mixture on top of the now nearly completed pie and smooth it gently with your fingers. Place z more layers of filo pastry on top, lengthwise, exactly like the first zlayers. Fold over and stick down the remaining outer sheets of filo as in step 6. Check that the filling is evenly protected by the pastry all around. To complete the package, place more sheets of filo crosswise over it and tuck underneath. Preheat the oven to 350̊F.
8. Brush the pastilla with the remaining melted butter and bake for about 3̊ minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool a little, then decorate with alternating trails of confectioner's sugar and cinnamon.
My notes:
If your sink is backing up, don’t let it take your attention away from the cooking chicken. You don’t want to overcook.
Allow 45 minutes from end of step 4.
An absolutely WONDERFUL delight. VERY time-consuming.
Pastry instructions:
1. Lay a rectangular sheet of ilo in a large roasting pan that is just slightly larger than the sheet. Brush pastry with chicken stock & lay another sheet straight on top to form base.
2. Arrange more sheets overlapping each other as if the petals of a flower with the base being the centre. Brush each with stock as you go along
3. Pile chicken mix onto pastry, then spread on the parley mix. Cover with a rectangle same size and position of the base. Brush it with stock.
4. One by one, fold the top layer of overlapping sheets into the centre of the rectangle and stick each in place by moistening it with beaten egg. Spread the almond mix on to, then a double layer of rectangles of fil the same size as the base. Fold over and stick down the remaining overlapping sheets as before.
5. Lay 2 or 3 rectangles of filo crosswise over the package.
6. Tuck the edges of the crosswise sheets underneath the package, which should be neat, completely enclosing the filling.