Pastilla (Moroccan Chicken Pie)

Ingredients

– 3 brown onions, diced
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– small pinch of saffron
– 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely sliced
– 1 tbsp Ras El Hanout spice blend
– 1/2 tsp turmeric
– 1 tsp cumin
– 2 tsp cinnamon
– 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
– salt, to taste
– 1 whole chicken
– 120g (4 oz) slivered almonds, toasted
– 6 eggs
– 2 tbsp melted butter
– 1 packet filo pastry
– 1 tbsp icing sugar

Method

1. In a large pot with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the diced onions with a pinch of salt. Sauté the onions slowly until they are softened.
2. Place 1 ice cube in a small dish and sprinkle the saffron on top. Let the saffron steep as the ice cube melts.
3. Add the finely sliced parsley, Ras El Hanout, turmeric, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and freshly ground black pepper to the sautéed onions. Stir well before adding the chicken breast side down.
4. Spoon some of the onion and parsley mixture over the back of the chicken, then add enough water to the pot to half submerge the chicken. Cover the pot with the lid, reduce the heat to low, and slowly cook the chicken for an hour until just cooked.
5. Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a wire rack to cool and rest.
6. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred all the meat from the carcass.
7. Add the saffron water to the pot used to cook the chicken. Stir well before adding the eggs, mixing them in thoroughly.
8. To assemble the pie, brush a pan with melted butter and layer in 3-4 sheets of filo pastry, ensuring they completely cover the bottom and sides of the pan.
9. Add just over half of the chicken mixture on top of the filo, followed by half of the toasted almonds. Then layer 2-3 more sheets of filo pastry and brush with butter.
10. Add the rest of the chicken and almonds on top of the second layer of pastry. Add 5-6 more sheets of filo, folding all the edges in and brushing with butter as you go.
11. Bake the whole pie in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 30-40 minutes until the filo is golden brown and crispy.
12. Mix together the icing sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
13. Turn the pie out from the pan, then dust the top with the cinnamon icing sugar mixture. Optionally, use a hot skewer to mark a cross pattern on the top.
14. Slice and enjoy!

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