Pastilla (Arabic: بسطيلة, romanized: basṭīla, also called a bastilla or a North African pie) is a meat or seafood pie in Maghrebi cuisine made with warqa dough (ورقة), which is similar to filo.
Pastilla may seem like a drawn-out affair - but you’ll agree it’s more than worth it when you bite into the buttery, flaky pastry and taste the sweet and savory almond and chicken fillings all spiced in warm, fragrant North African seasonings. Moroccan pastilla is a unique, addicting rustic recipe that combines sweet almonds and savory, juicy chicken in a golden brown pot pie.
This article delves into the rich history and provides a detailed recipe for creating your own chicken bastilla, a dish celebrated for its harmonious blend of sweet and savory flavors.
If you are looking for a quick and easy recipe, this is not it. But if you are looking for a recipe sure to impress, this is the one. This is an advanced, fairly complex recipe that was provided to me many years ago by a friend whose mother grew up in Morocco and passed it down.
Pastila is a traditional Moroccan Chicken Pie and it's really awesome. Moroccan cuisine is a frequent guest on this blog. Loved every one of them. If you think that I covered a big part of Moroccan food world with these four posts, you are so wrong. It's only a tip of an iceberg! This African country offers so many awesome dishes that I would have to create a separate blog dedicated solely to it to TRY to make them all.
Read also: The Allure of Blue and White Tile
I savoured my first slice of authentic bastilla recipe probably about 20 years ago. I fell in love at first bite. I had never tasted anything quite like it. A chicken pie with sugar and cinnamon? How can that be? All I knew at the time is that is was a Moroccan dish and it was hard to come by.
A beautifully prepared Moroccan Chicken Bastilla, showcasing its golden-brown crust and intricate cinnamon design.
A Glimpse into History
According to historian of Jewish food Gil Marks, pastilla was brought to Morocco by Sephardic Jews and, after filo reached the Maghreb in the Ottoman era, cooks substituted it for Andalusi-style pastry.
But the traditional sweet and savory recipe is made from stewed squab (chicken nowadays) with spices, a scrambled egg filling, and a crunchy layer of toasted ground almonds mixed with cinnamon and sugar. Since one traditional moroccan bastilla recipe serves 10 guests, it is truly ideal for entertaining and a perfect group project. Nothing beats cooking with friends.
The original name is Pastilla and it is actually Andalucian with Middle Eastern flair. What? The spanish chicken pastilla recipe (p) became a bastilla (b) in Arabic countries. One can actually find various spellings - such as b’stilla or beestiya - depending on which North African country you are in.
While Bouhlila acknowledges that most Tetouanis consider bastila to be Andalusi, he suggests that the word itself is of Turkish origin and arrived with the Algerians.
Read also: Morocco's Blue Pearl
Moroccan Chicken Bastilla (Bastila / Pastilla) Recipe - CookingWithAlia - Episode 62
Key Ingredients and Their Roles
Poultry pastilla was traditionally made of squab (fledgling pigeons), but shredded chicken is more often used today. It combines sweet and savoury flavours: crisp layers of the crêpe-like werqa, savory meat slow-cooked in broth and spices and then shredded, and a crunchy layer of toasted and ground almonds, cinnamon, and sugar.
- Werqa Dough: Crisp layers similar to filo pastry.
- Poultry: Traditionally squab, now often chicken, slow-cooked in broth and spices.
- Almonds: Toasted and ground, mixed with cinnamon and sugar for a crunchy layer.
- Spices: A blend of saffron, ginger, cinnamon, and more to create a unique flavor profile.
A vibrant display of Moroccan spices, essential for creating the rich and authentic flavor of bastilla.
Variations of Pastilla
Seafood pastilla (Moroccan Arabic: بسطيلة الحوت, romanized: basṭīlat el-ḥūt) usually contains fish and other seafood, in addition to vermicelli. Whereas poultry pastilla is dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon, seafood pastilla is usually dressed with a light sprinkle of shredded cheese and a few slices of lemon.
In the traditional Fassi cuisine, pastilla can also be served as a dessert, in which case, the pastilla is called Jowhara (جوهرة, jewel) or "Pastilla with milk". This pastilla is also made of warka and a milky cream put between the sheets.
In the Jewish Moroccan cuisine of Casablanca, pastilla includes browned onions in the filling.
Read also: Men's Moroccan Fashion
Detailed Recipe for Chicken Bastilla
This time I want to show you a legendary sweet and savory Moroccan dish called Pastilla, or B'stilla, or Bisteeya (there are more names but I won't mention them all). Authentically, it's a pie made using puff pastry and stuffed with a sweet spiced pigeon, onions and almonds. Yes, you heard me right. Pigeon.
Traditionally Pastilla is really made with a pigeon, but a version with chicken is popular too. That's the one I made. Actually, my balcony (I am living in a flat) is getting attacked by pigeons all the time, so... I won't lie, a thought went through my mind, for a second, to make a delicious pie out of them... I guess it would be a nice warning to all other pigeons trying to "visit" my balcony in the future, right?
Ingredients
Here's a breakdown of the essential ingredients for making a delicious chicken bastilla:
- 4 to 4½ pounds chicken pieces, skinless with bone in
- 3 sweet onions, chopped (2 large and 1 small)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger to taste
- ¼ cup cow or goat butter, unsalted
- Athens Frozen Phyllo Dough
- Spices: Ras el Hanout, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, turmeric and saffron threads
- Almonds: Blanched
- Powdered sugar
- Orange blossom water
- Eggs
- Fresh parsley and cilantro
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare Chicken Mixture: Wash chicken and let dry. Heat butter and oil, add onions and cook until translucent. Add chicken and spices, cover, and cook until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and bones, shred the meat, and mix with half of the onion sauce.
- Prepare Scrambled Egg Filling: Beat eggs with salt, pepper, cilantro, and parsley. Heat a skillet with butter or oil, add remaining onion sauce, and then add egg mixture. Stir until eggs are scrambled and cooked.
- Prepare Almond Filling: Bake blanched almonds until golden brown. Grind to a fine texture in a food processor and add butter, powdered sugar, and orange flower water.
- Assemble the Bastilla: Grease a baking pan, layer filo sheets, brush with melted butter, and alternate layers of chicken mixture, egg mixture, and almond filling. Fold the overhanging filo edges into the center and top with more filo sheets, brushing with butter.
- Bake: Brush the top with egg yolk and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
- Garnish: Dust the top with confectioner's sugar and cinnamon in a geometric pattern.
The step-by-step process of creating chicken bastilla, from layering the filo dough to adding the fillings.
Tips for Success
- Keep It Covered: Filo dough dries out fast!
- Be Gentle: Filo is super thin and tears easily.
- Move Fast, Stay Ready: Have everything prepped before you start.
By following this recipe and understanding the nuances of each ingredient, you can create a stunning Moroccan Chicken Bastilla that will impress your guests and transport them to the vibrant flavors of North Africa.
Nutritional Information (Estimate)
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | Varies based on ingredients and portion size |
| Fat | Varies based on ingredients and portion size |
| Protein | Varies based on ingredients and portion size |
Popular articles:
tags: #Moroccan
