Bastila (Moroccan Chicken Pie)

Ingredients

• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 5 tbsp olive oil (Divided)
• 3 yellow onions (Medium; thinly sliced)
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (Finely chopped)
• 3 tbsp honey (Plus more to taste if needed)
• 3 garlic cloves (Medium; minced or pressed)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• saffron (Small pinch; optional)
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon (Also use for dusting)
• 1.5 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (Plus more if needed, including a pinch for the eggs)
• 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (Cut into 1-inch bite-size pieces)
• 0.5 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth (Homemade or store-bought)
• 1 tbsp eggs (Beaten with a fork)
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter (Melted)
• 4 large sheets phyllo pastry (Each sheet 9 by 14 inches; thawed if frozen)
• confectioners’ sugar (For dusting, if desired)
• cinnamon (For dusting, if desired)

Steps

1. 1

   Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the sliced almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast until golden, stirring halfway through, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

2. 2

   In a 12-inch high-sided stainless-steel or cast-iron skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil over medium-low heat until shimmering.

3. 3

   Add the sliced onions. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 7 to 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the cilantro, honey, garlic, turmeric, ginger, saffron if using, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

5. 5

   Add the bite-size chicken pieces and stir until they are well coated with the onions and spices.

6. 6

   Add the stock. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and tender and the stock has reduced to a thick, glossy sauce that coats the chicken, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and honey if needed.

7. 7

   Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet until shimmering.

8. 8

   Add the beaten eggs and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring gently with a wooden spoon, until the eggs are just set but still wet on top, 1 to 3 minutes.

9. 9

   Scatter the scrambled eggs evenly over the chicken and onion mixture in the large skillet.

10. 10

    Sprinkle the toasted almonds evenly over the eggs.

11. 11

    Working with one phyllo sheet at a time, lay a sheet flat on the work surface and brush it with melted butter.

12. 12

    Loosely scrunch the buttered phyllo and place it, buttered side up, over the filling. Repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets until the pie is fully covered with crinkled pastry.

13. 13

    Bake until the filling is bubbly and hot and the pastry is golden on top, about 25 minutes.

14. 14

    Just before serving, use a fine-mesh sieve to lightly dust the pie with confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon, if desired. Serve.

Notes

The recipe uses crinkled phyllo as a shortcut instead of traditional layered bastila assembly. The structured recipe states an approximately 80-minute cook time; prep time is estimated from the listed chopping, measuring, and assembly tasks.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Moroccan
• Middle Eastern
• savory-sweet
• one-pan
• baked
• chicken
• celebration