Moroccan chicken (or cauliflower) Bisteeya
Although the dish is Moroccan, I had tried it the first as a child in Djerba, Tunisia and I totally fell in love with I, as it had everything I loved in a dish: sweet, crispy pastry, crunchy nuts and warm spices. This dish is a feast to the eyes and an explosion of flavours in your mouth.
Ingredients
- 1 medium Capon or small turkey, cut into medium spices
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 pound clarified butter
- 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger, ground
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron
- 2-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 onions, grated or finely chopped
- 1 bunch coriander, chopped
- 1 bunch parsley, chopped
- 8 eggs, beaten
- 125 grams blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 10 sheets filo dough
- 2 tablespoons icing sugar, optional
- 1 shallow round baking tin
Directions
- Place chicken in large pot with the oil, ginger, salt, pepper, saffron, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, the onions, and very little water so that the chicken is braised and not boiled.
- Cook at a simmer, covered until tender, about 30 minutes.
- As soon as you can handle it, remove the skin and bones from the chicken, and tear flesh into small pieces. Add the herbs to the liquid in the pan and reduce it to a thick sauce. Beat the eggs and add to the sauce as if to make scramble eggs.
- Fry the almonds in olive oil. Set aside.
- Brush tin with oil. Drape a sheet of filo over, covering the bottom of the pan, let the edge hang over the side. Fit four more sheets, one on top of each other, brushing each with clarified butter
- Spread the chicken pieces in the bottom then cover with egg mixture. Place a folded sheet of filo on top and sprinkle the chopped almonds. Dust with two teaspoons of cinnamon and one to two tablespoons icing sugar (optional).
- Fold the overhanging filo over the chicken and almonds. Brush with a little oil in between the layers. Any hanging bits of filo must be tucked under the pie, to wrap it like a neat little parcel. Drizzle with a little oil around the edges of the pie.
- Bake at 350°F for about one hour or until crisp and golden.
