Moroccan Chicken Pie
Description
I admit that this looks complicated, but it’s one of our ‘top 10’ meals of all time. I’ve adapted it from a friend who served it at one of her dinner parties, and we’ve been loving it ever since – I’ve also seen it in many cookbooks labelled as ‘Chicken B’stilla’. It can be broken down into 4 sections; the phyllo (nothing to prepare, just remember to take it out of the freezer), the chicken (this can be done ahead), the egg mixture (made with the chicken juices, this needs to be done right at the end), and the almond and sugar mixture (this can be done ahead). It takes time, but it’s SOOOO worth it!
Ingredients
1 package of phyllo pastry – you only need about 10 sheets – put the phyllo in the refrigerator overnight to thaw – and don’t open it until you’re ready to use it.
Almond Sugar Mixture
1 c. almonds, finely chopped
2 T. EACH butter AND icing sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
The Chicken
olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced AND 1 T. fresh ginger, minced AND 1 t. cinnamon
2 to 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs – 12 to 15 thighs
1 t. freshly ground pepper and salt to taste – you may not need much salt if you’re using strong chicken broth
2 1/2 c. good, strong chicken broth
1 t. + sriracha
3 T. EACH fresh cilantro AND parsley, chopped (you’ll need more of both later)
The Egg Mixture
2 T. lemon juice
8 eggs, beaten
3 T. EACH fresh cilantro AND parsley, chopped
Instructions
For the almond/sugar layer – sauté the almonds in the butter for a few minutes until the almonds just start to brown. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble the pie.
For the chicken – heat a large (I use non-stick) skillet over medium heat and add a bit of oil. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until softened, then add the garlic, ginger and cinnamon and cook for a couple more minutes.
Add the chicken to the skillet (wiggle each piece into the onions so that it can be browned), season with the salt and pepper and brown each side for a couple of minutes. Add the broth, sriracha, cilantro and parsley and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for about a half hour, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken only, allow it to cool enough to handle it, then shred or chop it finely and set it aside until the pie is going to be assembled. This is a time consuming step for me because I remove all fatty bits – I like perfect chicken! Reserve the skillet and it’s contents.
For the egg mixture – once the chicken has been removed from the skillet, the remaining sauce needs to be reduced, this will take about 10 minutes. Simmer it until the ‘sauce’ is basically a paste – or your finished pie will be way too juicy. To the ‘paste’, add the lemon juice, mix well, reduce the heat to low, then slowly pour in the beaten eggs while whisking.
Continue cooking on low while stirring/whisking until the mixture has thickened slightly and you can see bits of scrambled egg starting to form. Stir in the cilantro and parsley – this is the last ‘mixture’ to be added to the pie as it’s being assembled.
When the layers are prepped and you’re ready to assemble – preheat the oven to 375, melt about 3 T. of butter (olive oil can also be used) and open the phyllo. Brush a 10 inch oven-proof skillet with butter or oil and lay down a piece of phyllo, carefully molding it to the bottom and sides of the pan. Continue to drape about 8-10 more sheets of phyllo (I always lose count), overlapping slightly, so that the phyllo edges hang over the sides and you can no longer see any edge of the pan. Brush each sheet with butter or oil between each layer.
Fill the bottom of the phyllo lined pan with the almond sugar mixture, then add the shredded chicken. Pour the egg mixture over top all of it until the pan is full – you may need to move the chicken around a bit to make it all fit.
Starting with the inner layer, carefully re-fold the phyllo back over the pie. Brush each piece with butter or oil and continue to re-layer until the pie is covered. Brush the whole top of the pie with butter or oil and bake for 35 minutes. Let the pie rest for about 15 minutes before cutting into it. Sprinkling it with icing sugar and cinnamon is also recommended (and makes for a stunning presentation).
Normally we’d enjoy this with some fancy rice – basmati with chopped raisins, dried cranberries, parsley or even apricots to make it look pretty, and a salad – and as mentioned, this is a great dinner party idea!
- Category: Chicken, Phyllo, One-pot Meal
