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Moroccan Chicken Pastilla with Almonds

A Moroccan sweet-and-savory pie made with warka pastry, filled with spiced chicken, scrambled eggs, and toasted almonds, then dusted with sugar and cinnamon.
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مدة التحضير 45 minutes
مدة الطهي 45 minutes
الوقت الكلي 1 hour 30 minutes
عدد الحصص: 6 people
Ingredients Method Notes

المقادير
  

  • 1 chicken, cut into pieces (about 1.2 kg)
  • 1 package of warka pastry sheets (about 10 sheets)
  • 3 onions, finely chopped
  • 1 cup blanched, toasted, and coarsely ground almonds
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 bunch of cilantro and parsley
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • A few strands of saffron
  • Cinnamon, salt, and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar + more for decorating
  • Melted butter for brushing the pastry
  • Orange blossom water (optional)

Method
 

  1. Cook the chicken with the onions, spices, saffron, and a little water until fully tender. Drain it, let it cool, then remove the bones and shred the meat.
  2. Let the broth simmer until it thickens, add the cilantro and parsley, then pour in the beaten eggs, stirring until they set and dry out slightly.
  3. Mix the ground almonds with the sugar, cinnamon, and a little orange blossom water.
  4. Butter a baking dish and arrange the butter-brushed warka sheets so their edges hang over the sides of the dish.
  5. Spread a layer of chicken, then the egg mixture, then the almonds; cover with extra sheets and fold the edges in to seal the pie.
  6. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for about 25–30 minutes until golden, then flip it over and decorate with powdered sugar and lines of cinnamon. Serve hot.

ملاحظات

Make sure the chicken and egg filling is dry to avoid making the pastry soggy.
You can assemble the pastilla and freeze it before baking, then bake it straight from frozen when needed.
Well-toasted almonds give a deeper flavor than raw ones.