Pastilla or bastilla is one of the most unusual meat pies in the world, harmoniously combining salty and sweet tastes in a wrap of thin crispy pastry. Traditionally, it was made from the backs of young pigeons, but now it is more and more often cooked with chicken. Ground almonds, cinnamon, a thick custard of eggs and herbs are also placed in a pastille. This unusually delicious dish is an indispensable dish at Moroccan weddings.
Pick your recipe
You will need
- Portioned pastilla
- - 500 grams of chicken thighs;
- - 500 grams of sliced onions;
- - 1 bunch of parsley;
- - 1 teaspoon of olive oil;
- - 2 cinnamon sticks;
- - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper;
- - 1 teaspoon ground ginger;
- - a pinch of saffron;
- - 1 teaspoon of salt;
- - glass of water;
- - 3 chicken eggs;
- - 1 tablespoon of liquid honey;
- - 400 grams of peeled roasted almonds;
- - 1 teaspoon of orange water;
- - 16 sheets of filo dough;
- - 100 grams of melted butter;
- - icing sugar and cinnamon for serving.
Instruction manual
1
In a saucepan with a heavy bottom or bottom of the tazhin, heat the oil. Put chopped onions, parsley and spices. Sauté for 10 minutes until the onions become clear. Put chicken on top, pour in water and simmer for about 45 minutes. There should be enough water so that it covers the meat and afterwards a thick, aromatic sauce is obtained.
2
Remove the chicken from the sauce. Remove the meat from the bones and disassemble into small pieces. In the remaining sauce, add honey and keep on fire, stirring occasionally. After five minutes, add beaten eggs, mix well and wait until you get a thick cream.
3
Grind the fried almonds in a blender, mix with orange water.
4
Take ceramic custard molds. In Morocco, these pies are made from dough warg, a close relative of the filo dough. Elongated until wet, the dough is quickly and repeatedly applied to a thin, hot pan, until a thin and multi-layer layer is formed on it. This is warg dough. Due to its cooking characteristics, outside of Morocco it is also called the “brick” dough. To prepare a warg, you need to have remarkable dexterity, so the easiest way to replace it with a finished filo dough. Lubricate one layer of dough with melted butter, cover with another and also lubricate it. Line them molds. Repeat with the remaining tins and six sheets of dough.
5
Mix egg cream, almond paste and chicken into a single mass. Divide into four parts and put in the dough. Gather the filo in folds in a circle, sealing the filling. Lay out the remaining 8 sheets of filo, not forgetting to oil them. Put the pastilla on each two bonded sheets with the sealed part down. Seal the dough on top and place the pies on a baking sheet. Bake in a pre-melted to 140 ° C oven until the dough is golden and crispy. Remove the pastilla, sprinkle with powdered sugar mixed with ground cinnamon. Serve immediately.
Useful advice
In the filling for pastilla in modern Moroccan cuisine, they put not only chicken, but also other meat and even sometimes offal.