Chicken and Almond Bisteeya

The Bisteeya (B’steeya) is a traditional Moroccan pie that is made from many layers of phylo pastry, chicken or pigeon and almonds. You will find that the spelling for this dish will vary and you may see it written as pastilla, the dish is the same it is just the translation from Arabic that differs.

The Bisteeya is another iconic Moroccan dish such as a tagine. A Bisteeya uses the distinct Moroccan combination of sweet and savoury like the carrot salad. This recipe requires a little bit of work but don’t be scared, it is well worth it. It is best to prepare the chicken and egg mixture a day in advance then assemble and cook when you are ready to eat.


Ingredients
1 kg Chicken (Thigh fillets or Maryland’s)
Olive Oil
1 Onion, Finely Diced
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Small Chilli
¼ Cup of Sherry
2 Cups of Chicken Stock
3 Eggs
Pinch of Saffron
1 tsp of Ground Ginger
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp ground Cumin
½ bunch Chopped Fresh Parsley
½ bunch Chopped Fresh Coriander
1 Packet of Filo Pastry
1 Block of Unsalted Butter, Melted
100g of Toasted Flaked Almonds
100g Icing Sugar

Place the flaked almond on a lined baking dish and roast at 200° for 5 -10 minutes or until golden brown. When roasted and cooled combine with icing sugar and 1Tbs cinnamon.

In a heavy bottom non stick pan heat about 50 ml of olive oil. Season the chicken with a good amount of salt and pepper then add the chicken to the pan and allow to brown on all sides. Once the chicken has coloured add the onions, garlic and the dried spice. Stir well ensuring that the spices cover all of the chicken. Add the sherry and the stock, cover and simmer for 40 minutes. You want the chicken to be fully cooked and fall apart when stirred.

Strain the mixture setting the liquid aside. Place the chicken back in the pot and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until it is all shredded. Remove chicken and refrigerate then return the liquid to a pot on a high heat and allow it to reduce until there is about ½ cup left – be careful it does not catch. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat with a fork then add them to the hot liquid whilst stirring. The eggs will cook and the whole mix will become like a scrambled eggs, this will take about 3 minutes. Refrigerate egg mixture and allow it to cool. Once cooled combine fresh chopped herbs, chicken and egg mixture together.

Using a 10” ceramic flan dish, firstly coat with melted butter. Place a sheet of filo pastry so as ½ is in the dish and ½ is out. Repeat this four times buttering again after each layer then sprinkle a generous amount of the almond, cinnamon sugar mixture onto the pastry. Repeat this process. Fill tart mould with chicken filling. Place a single layer of filo that has been folded in half on top. Using a good amount of butter on each piece, fold each of the sides up to form the pastry lid.

Bake for15 minutes at 200° then invert onto a baking tray and bake for a further 20 minutes at 175°. Dust with a little icing sugar and serve.
1 Tbs Ground Cinnamon