Ingredients
Serves: 6
For the chicken filling:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin rapeseed oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 450g of free-range deboned chicken thighs, cut into small chunks
- 1 tbsp ras el hanout
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 500 ml chicken/veg stock
- 75g ground almonds
- 50g dates (or date paste), chopped
- 15g chopped coriander including stalks
For the pastillas:
- 6 sheets of filo pastry, defrosted
- 6 tbsp extra virgin rapeseed oil or more for brushing filo
To garnish:
- Flaked almonds
- Cinnamon and icing sugar for dusting the top (optional)
Method
- In a medium saucepan, heat the oil on a low to medium heat. Add the chopped onions and fry for 7-10 minutes or until soft and browning.
- Add the chicken and cook for approx. five minutes until browned.
- Add the ras el hanout and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the stock and bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for an hour until the chicken is cooked and tender.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside, reserving the stock in the pot. Simmer the stock, reducing it in half to approx. 100ml of stock.
- In a large bowl, mix the chicken, dates, almonds, coriander, and reduced stock together.
- Grease the terracotta dish with oil. Place a sheet of filo pastry on a chopping board and cut into four even strips along the long edge. Keep the remaining sheets covered with a clean damp towel to stop them drying out.
- Lay a filo strip into the dish so that it covers the base and there is an overhang on each side. This will be used to cover the top. Oil the filo strip and add another strip on top creating an 'x' with the overhangs on the opposite sides. Repeat this with the two remaining strips creating an '+' on top of the ‘x’ so the pastry covers most of the dish.
- Fill with the chicken mixture and fold the filo overhangs on top of the filling making sure to oil each layer as you fold it over.
- Carefully turn out the pastilla onto a baking tray and make the next pie. Drizzle a little oil on the flaked almonds and sprinkle over the top of the pie.
- Bake in a fan oven at 180°C fan for 20 minutes until golden brown.
- Dust with the traditional icing sugar and cinnamon if you’d like before serving. Can be eaten hot or cold.
Notes
- If you have 6 terracotta dishes or are making a large pie you can bake them in the dish/dishes but they may need to be turned upside down towards the end of the baking time to bake the bottom of the pie.
- Freeze the pastillas before baking if you have too many. Defrost before baking
