Pastilla
Pastilla traces its origins to Andalusian cuisine, brought to Morocco by Muslim and Jewish refugees expelled from Spain after the Reconquista. The original recipe used wild pigeon, and in Fez, considered the dish's city of origin, the pigeon version remains the most prized today, even though chicken has become the common alternative elsewhere in the country. The sweet-savory combination, unusual for most Mediterranean cuisines, is exactly what pastilla is about — the powdered sugar and cinnamon on top aren't a mistake, but the dish's signature, inherited from the culinary tradition of Morocco's royal courts. Warqa pastry, hand-stretched into extremely thin sheets, technically differs from Greek phyllo dough in how it's made, though modern kitchens often use the two interchangeably.
The chicken simmers with ginger and cinnamon, then gets shredded
The meat needs to be soft enough to pull apart easily with a fork
The eggs cook slowly in the reduced chicken broth
They turn into a thick, creamy scrambled layer, not just cracked eggs
Toasted, crushed almonds, lightly sweetened
Give the crunchy contrast hidden inside, under the pastry layers
Powdered sugar and cinnamon dusted on top, in a pattern
The sweet-savory combination is pastilla's signature, not a recipe mistake
Ingredients 4 servings
- 12 sheets warqa or thin phyllo pastry
- 800g bone-in chicken thighs
- 2 onions, chopped
- 5 tbsp butter, melted, divided
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting
- A pinch of saffron threads
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 150g almonds, toasted and crushed
- 4 tbsp powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
- Fresh cilantro and parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
How to make it
- 1SIMMER THE CHICKEN: simmer the chicken with the onion, ginger, cinnamon, saffron, salt and pepper, in a pot with a little water, until tender, about 40 minutes.
- 2SHRED AND REDUCE: remove the chicken, shred the meat, discard the bones and skin, reduce the cooking liquid.
- 3MAKE THE EGGS: pour the beaten eggs into the reduced liquid, cook gently, stirring, until it thickens into a creamy scramble.
- 4MAKE THE ALMOND FILLING: mix the toasted, crushed almonds with a little sugar and cinnamon.
- 5LAYER THE PASTRY: brush the warqa sheets with melted butter, layer them overlapping in a round pan, leaving the edges hanging over.
- 6FILL: spread the shredded chicken, then the egg mixture, then the almond mixture, in layers, scatter herbs on top.
- 7SEAL: fold the overhanging pastry over the filling, brush with butter, add another buttered layer on top, tuck the edges underneath.
- 8BAKE: bake until golden and crisp.
- 9SERVE: dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon in a pattern, before serving.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
