Pastilla

Name: Pastilla
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Moroccan Maghreb
Ingredients: 1 Chickens, whole (about 1.5 kg), cut into pieces; 3 large Onions, finely chopped; 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 30g Unsalted Butter; 250ml Chicken Stock, or water; 2 tsp Ground Ginger; 1 tsp Ground Turmeric; 1 Cinnamon Sticks; 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper; 1 1/2 tsp Fine Salt, to taste; 1 bunches of Cilantro, about 15 g, finely chopped; 1 bunches of Flat-Leaf Parsley, about 15 g, finely chopped; 6 large Eggs, lightly beaten; 250g Blanched Almonds; 60g Granulated Sugar; 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon; 1 tbsp Orange Blossom Water; 10 large sheets of Warqa Sheets, or 14 sheets filo pastry; 150g Unsalted Butter, melted, for brushing; 2 tbsp Powdered Sugar, icing sugar, for dusting; 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon, for dusting; 1 pinches of Saffron Threads, small, soaked in 1 tbsp warm water

Pastilla is a luxurious Moroccan pie that balances savory braised chicken with a sweet, spiced almond filling tucked into crisp, paper-thin warqa sheets. Each bite offers fragrant saffron and orange blossom notes, crunchy sugared almonds, and a delicate cinnamon-sugar finish — elegant enough for a celebration but comforting enough for any night in.

Pastilla is a luxurious Moroccan pie that balances savory braised chicken with a sweet, spiced almond filling tucked into crisp, p... Show more

Traditional Moroccan Maghreb Recipe

Health Grade

B- · Healthy

Rating

4.3

Time

2 hrs

Price

1,97 €

Calories

987 kcal

high protein

comfort food

holiday/special occasion

middle eastern

Method

Prep the filling

Cut the whole Chicken into pieces if needed, and pat them dry. Rinse and dry the Cilantro and Flat-Leaf Parsley, then finely chop them along with the Onion. Lightly beat the Eggs in a bowl, and steep the Saffron Threads in 1 tbsp warm water so they’re ready to add later.

Cook the chicken

In a large heavy pot, warm the Olive Oil and Unsalted Butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft and glossy, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken pieces, Ground Ginger, Ground Turmeric, Cinnamon Stick, Ground Black Pepper, Fine Salt, and Chicken Stock, then stir in the saffron water. Cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes until the chicken is tender. While that simmers, pulse the Blanched Almonds, Granulated Sugar, Ground Cinnamon, and Orange Blossom Water in a food processor until you have a fragrant, sandy mixture with a little texture left; set it aside.

Finish the filling

Uncover the pot and keep simmering until the sauce is thick and glossy enough to coat a spoon. Lift the chicken out to a plate, discard the cinnamon stick, and when the meat is cool enough to handle, pull it off the bones and shred it. Stir the herbs into the sauce, then add the beaten eggs a little at a time over low heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes until they turn into a silky custard. Fold the shredded chicken back in and cook just until the filling is moist and cohesive, not soupy.

Assemble and bake

Heat the oven to 350° F. Let the chicken filling cool until just warm, then brush a round baking dish with melted butter. Lay in about 5 of the Warqa Sheets, brushing each one with more butter and letting the edges hang over the sides of the dish. Spoon in the chicken filling, spread the almond mixture evenly over it, then cover with the remaining sheets, buttering each one and tucking the overhang inward to seal. Bake until deep golden and crisp, about 35 minutes. Let it stand for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert the pastilla onto a serving plate.