Chicken and Almond Pastilla
10 servings
80 minutes
Chicken and almond pastilla is a true culinary masterpiece from European gastronomy with Eastern notes. This delicate pie combines the crispness of phyllo dough, the juiciness of chicken meat, the aroma of spices, and a sweet almond texture. The secret of the dish lies in the harmony of spices: saffron, cinnamon, ginger, and coriander that create an amazing bouquet of flavors. Each serving is a balance of salty and sweet, airy and rich. Pastilla can be served hot or cold and remains an indispensable decoration for festive tables. In Morocco, this dish is often prepared for celebrations dusted with powdered sugar symbolizing wealth and comfort. Pastilla is a gastronomic journey into a world of refined taste where each ingredient plays its role in a symphony of enjoyment.
1
Cut the chicken into pieces, remove the skin and excess fat, and place it in a pot with melted butter.
- Chicken: 1500 g
- Butter: 200 g
2
Add chopped onion, coriander, saffron, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, ginger, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Pour in 1 cup of water and simmer covered for about 20 minutes on medium heat until the chicken is cooked.
- Onion: 4 pieces
- Coriander: 1 bunch
- Saffron: pinch
- Ground cinnamon: 3 teaspoons
- Ground ginger: 1 teaspoon
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Powdered sugar: 1.5 glass
- Orange blossom water: 1 teaspoon
- Vegetable oil: 1 glass
3
Remove the chicken pieces, let them cool, separate the meat from the bones and cartilage, and shred it by hand to leave large fibers.
4
Reduce the sauce left in the pot by simmering and stirring occasionally until it becomes a liquid paste. Without removing from heat, crack 6 eggs one by one, mixing the mass after adding each egg. Strain the resulting mixture to drain excess liquid.
- Chicken egg: 6 pieces
5
Toast the almonds in a pan with half vegetable oil, then blend them to about the size of buckwheat. After frying the almonds, drizzle one tablespoon of vegetable oil over the chicken filling. Mix the almonds with powdered sugar, cinnamon, and orange blossom water.
- Peeled almonds: 250 g
- Vegetable oil: 1 glass
- Powdered sugar: 1.5 glass
- Ground cinnamon: 3 teaspoons
- Orange blossom water: 1 teaspoon
6
In muffin molds, place a folded sheet of phyllo dough, brush with vegetable oil on top, and layer with chicken filling, egg filling, and almond filling. It's important that the filling is not hot to prevent the dough sheets from tearing. Cover the edges of the dough on top after brushing them with vegetable oil.
- Filo dough: 1 piece
- Vegetable oil: 1 glass
7
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and bake until the layers of dough are golden and crispy.
- Filo dough: 1 piece
8
Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar through a sieve. The pastille can be eaten both hot and cold.
- Powdered sugar: 1.5 glass