This is a killer Moroccan crisp phyllo pie. The combination of cinnamon, icing sugar and almonds hidden between the layers of phyllo and the sweet and savoury chicken filling is really amazing!
Directions for: Basteeya (Moroccan Chicken Pie)
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil (30 ml)
1 large onion, chopped
2 clove garlic, chopped
1 small Thai chile or chile flakes, to taste
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp good quality Madras Curry powder (5 ml)
1 tsp fresh chopped ginger (5 ml)
1 tsp grated lemon zest (5 ml)
4 cooked chicken legs, bones removed
2 pitted prunes, chopped
cup spicy green olives, diced (60 ml)
cup chicken stock (125 ml)
juice of lemon
Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp icing sugar (15 ml)
2 Tbsp whole toasted almonds (30 ml)
tsp ground cinnamon (2 ml)
cup melted butter or olive oil (75 ml)
8 sheet phyllo
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander (30 ml)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Brush a 10-inch pie dish with some melted butter.
3. In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Saut the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chile, cinnamon stick, curry powder, ginger, lemon zest and chicken and saut for 2 minutes. Stir in the prunes, olives, stock, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, without stirring, for 10 minutes. Remove lid and simmer for a further 5 minutes, or until liquid has evaporated. Let cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, pulse icing sugar, cinnamon and almonds in food processor until coarsely chopped.
5. On a work surface, arrange a sheet of phyllo. (Keep remaining phyllo under damp tea towel.) Brush phyllo with butter. Lay in the middle of pie dish allowing excess phyllo to hang over edge. Repeat with 4 more sheets of phyllo.
6. Stir beaten egg and coriander into chicken mixture. Spoon chicken mixture into prepared pie dish. Fold the phyllo pieces that are hanging over the edge of the pie dish, one at a time into middle of pie, sprinkling some of the almond mixture between each layer.
7. Butter 1 piece of phyllo and sprinkle with some of the almond mixture. Place over filling and tuck in any overhang. Repeat with remaining phyllo and almond mixture. (Do these one by one, not stacked together, to achieve a light, blossomy top.)
8. Bake for 20 minutes until top is browned and crisp. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.
See more: Main, Dinner, Nuts, Poultry, Saute, Fall, Bake, Pastry, African, Chicken, Winter