Chicken and Almond Bastilla

A crisp phyllo crust that shatters under the knife, revealing tender chicken bound with eggs and a crunchy almond layer. Warm scents of cinnamon and saffron fill the air.

• Prep time: 45 min
• Cook time: 60 min
• Difficulty: Hard
• Calories: 1443
• Protein: 62 g
• Carbs: 67 g
• Fat: 98 g

Ingredients

• 800 g Chicken thigh ( cut into pieces )
• 500 g Onion ( finely sliced )
• 6 piece Egg ( beaten )
• 200 g Almond with skin ( blanched and crushed )
• 10 piece Phyllo dough ( whole )
• 150 g Minimum butter sweet ( melted )
• 30 ml Peanut oil ( for cooking )
• 50 g Flat-leaf parsley ( chopped )
• 50 g Fresh cilantro ( chopped )
• 50 g White sugar ( granulated )
• 2 tsp Cinnamon ground
• 1 tsp Ginger ground
• 1 pinch Saffron
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper ground
• 2 tbsp Orange blossom water
• 30 g Icing sugar ( for dusting )

Instructions

1. Cooking the poultry

   In a pot, heat the peanut oil. Brown the chicken pieces with the sliced onions. Add the ginger, saffron, salt, and pepper. Cover with a little water and simmer until the meat falls off the bone.

2. Shredding and reduction

   Remove the chicken, shred it with a fork while removing the bones. Reduce the cooking juices with the onions, parsley, and cilantro until the sauce coats the spoon and the water has evaporated.

3. Egg binding

   Beat the eggs. Pour them into the hot onion sauce with a tablespoon of orange blossom water. Stir constantly over low heat until a thick, grainy cream is obtained. Let cool.

4. Almond preparation

   Brown the almonds in a pan with a knob of butter. Coarsely crush them. Mix with the white sugar, a teaspoon of cinnamon, and the remaining orange blossom water.

5. Assembling the bastilla

   Butter a round mold. Layer 4 sheets of phyllo dough, letting them overlap the edges, each sheet brushed with melted butter. Layer the egg filling, then the shredded chicken, and finally the almonds. Fold in the edges and cover with 2 buttered sheets to seal.

6. Baking and finishing

   Bake at 180°C. The pastry should be golden and very crispy. Upon removal, generously dust with icing sugar and cinnamon, drawing a diamond pattern.

Chef's tips

• The onion sauce must be perfectly dry before adding the eggs, otherwise the phyllo will get soggy.
• Butter each sheet generously; that is the secret to the crunch.
• Let the filling cool completely before assembling to avoid tearing the pastry sheets.

Storage

Keeps for 2 days in the fridge. Reheat in the oven at 150°C to restore crunch, never in the microwave.