Moroccan Pastilla Pie

8 servings

90 minutes

Pastilla is a Moroccan layered meat pie that is made from... young pigeons! We couldn't find any special pigeons, so we made it from chicken fillet, although it can also be made from fish, seafood, offal, and other edible meat. This pie always has a lot of bright spices, almonds, and cinnamon.

Energy value per serving

• Calories: 886.3
• Proteins: 28.8g
• Fats: 65.6g
• Carbohydrates: 39.9g

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil: 200 ml
• Chicken thigh fillet: 800 g
• Onion: 500 g
• Garlic: 2 clove
• Ground ginger: 1 tsp
• Cinnamon: 0.5 tsp
• Turmeric: 0.5 tsp
• Saffron: pinch
• Chicken egg: 4 pc
• Almond: 100 g
• Parsley: 30 g
• Filo dough: 500 g
• Butter: 80 g
• Salt: to taste
• Ground black pepper: to taste
• Powdered sugar: to taste

Cooking steps

1. Heat a little vegetable oil in a large saucepan, fry the chicken meat until golden brown on all sides, then remove it.

   Required ingredients:

   • Vegetable oil: 200 ml
   • Chicken thigh fillet: 800 g

2. Add a little more oil to the same saucepan

   Required ingredients:

   • Vegetable oil: 200 ml

3. Add finely chopped onion and sauté it, stirring, until soft. Then add minced garlic, parsley, ginger, turmeric, and saffron, and cook for a couple more minutes.

   Required ingredients:

   • Onion: 500 g
   • Garlic: 2 cloves
   • Parsley: 30 g
   • Ground ginger: 1 teaspoon
   • Turmeric: 0.5 teaspoon
   • Saffron:  pinch

4. Return the chicken to the onion, add 500 ml of water, season with salt and pepper, cover with a lid and simmer for about half an hour.

   Required ingredients:

   • Chicken thigh fillet: 800 g
   • Salt:  to taste
   • Ground black pepper:  to taste

5. Remove the meat from the pan again, add eggs to the onion, and fry on low heat, stirring actively until the mixture becomes dry and crumbly.

   Required ingredients:

   • Chicken egg: 4 pieces

6. In a clean pan, heat 100 ml of vegetable oil and fry the almonds until golden brown. Drain on a sieve to remove excess oil. Blend the fried almonds into coarse crumbs.

   Required ingredients:

   • Vegetable oil: 200 ml
   • Almond: 100 g

7. Cut the chicken meat into large pieces.

8. Grease a round baking form with melted butter, lay several sheets of phyllo dough, letting the edges hang over. Brush it with butter. Place the chicken on top, cover it with a sheet of dough, and brush the dough with butter.

   Required ingredients:

   • Butter: 80 g
   • Filo dough: 500 g
   • Chicken thigh fillet: 800 g

9. Layer the onion omelet as the second layer, cover it with dough, and brush with oil.

   Required ingredients:

   • Chicken egg: 4 pieces

10. The last layer is almond; repeat the procedure with phyllo dough and butter. Close the pie with the hanging edges of the dough, brush them with butter. Place a couple more layers of dough on top, tuck the edges into shape, and brush again with butter. Bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.

    Required ingredients:

    • Almond: 100 g
    • Filo dough: 500 g
    • Butter: 80 g

11. Sprinkle the finished pie with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

    Required ingredients:

    • Powdered sugar:  to taste
    • Cinnamon: 0.5 teaspoon