Bastilla

Made by:  Ingrid Gnerlich & Ricardo Schiavon

Makes one 12" bastilla.

Prep Time: 2 hours, 20 minutesCook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
 
Ingredients:

1 whole, large chicken, cut into pieces, skin and fat removed
2 very large sweet white onions, chopped medium
1 tablespoon fresh finely chopped ginger
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric (or 1/4 teaspoon Moroccan yellow colorant)
1 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
2 or 3 cinnamon sticks
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
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1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
8 eggs, beaten
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2 cups whole blanched almonds
1 tbsp. butter, for toasting the almonds
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tablespoons orange flower water (if you can find it)
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1/2 kg (about 1 lb.) warqa or phyllo dough (12 sheets)
1/2 cup butter, melted
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1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 or 3 tablespoons cinnamon

Preparation:

Cook the Chicken

Mix the chicken with onion, spices, butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed stock pot. Cover, and cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about an hour, or until the chicken is very tender and falls off the bone. Do not add water, and be careful not to burn the chicken or the sauce.

Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. If you find that you are left with a lot of liquid in the pot, reduce it in the pot (by cooking it further) until most of the liquids have evaporated and the liquid has thickened into a sauce.

While the sauce is reducing and the chicken is still warm, pick the meat off the bones, breaking it into small 2" pieces. Stir in several spoonfuls of the sauce, cover the meat, and set aside.

Cook the Egg Stuffing

Transfer the remaining sauce and oil to a large non-stick skillet (or simply use the same pot). Add the cilantro, and simmer for a minute or two. Add the beaten eggs, and cook as you would scrambled eggs. Be patient, as it will take up to ten minutes for the eggs to set. Set the egg stuffing aside.

Make the Almond Topping

Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Throw in the slivered almonds, a tsp of cinnamon, and stir, watching carefully, until they are golden brown. Take off heat and set aside.

Assemble the Bastilla

Generously oil or butter a 14" or larger round baking sheet, ideally with a low/shallow rim. A large, round spring form pan would also work.

Lay a sheet at a time of phyllo dough on the pan, arranging each one slightly offset from the last -- brushing each sheet with melted butter as you go -- so that you create a circle of phyllo dough. The excess dough should hang off the sides of the pan.

Cover the center of the circle with the chicken filling, and then distribute the egg stuffing over the chicken.

Top the egg stuffing with another buttered circle of phyllo dough. Spread the almond topping over this layer of dough.

Fold the excess dough up and over the almonds to enclose the pie.

Brush butter on the top and sides of the pie.

Bake the Bastilla

Preheat an oven to 350° F (180° C). Place the bastilla in the middle of the oven, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until deep golden brown.

Garnish and Serve

Generously coat the bastilla with sifted powdered sugar. Sift the cinnamon on top of the sugar, or use the cinnamon to decorate the top of the pie, if desired.

Serve!