Flaky chicken and almond pie

This rich and flaky Moroccan pie, called b'stilla, is a showstopper. It pairs saffron- and spice-scented chicken with sweetened, ground almonds inside crispy filo dough.

Flaky chicken and almond pie Credit: Evan Sung

• serves

  6

• prep

  40 minutes

• cook

  1:45 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

The pie is then dusted with powdered (icing) sugar and cinnamon, creating a pastry that delicately straddles the sweet-savory line. The pie was originally made with squab or pigeon, but is often made with chicken today. It is labor intensive, so typically saved for holidays like Sukkot and Hanukkah, or special occasions like weddings.

Ingredients

Chicken layer

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Ras el Hanout
• ½ tsp crushed pepper flakes
• ½ tsp saffron threads, crumbled
• 1.8 kg (4 lb) skin-on chicken drumsticks and thighs, patted dry
• 3 cups (710 ml/24 fl oz) chicken stock
• ½ cup (20 g) roughly chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
• Kosher salt
• 3 eggs

Almond layer

• 1 cup (120 g) almond meal (ground almonds)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Assembly and baking

• 6 sheets frozen filo pastry, thawed
• ⅓ cup (75 ml/2½ fl oz) vegetable oil
• icing (powdered) sugar, for topping
• ground cinnamon, for topping

Cooling time: 20 minutes

Instructions

1. To make the chicken layer, in a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 6–8 minutes. Add the ras el hanout, pepper flakes, and saffron and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken, stock, and coriander (cilantro). Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes.

2. Remove the chicken pieces with tongs and transfer to a plate to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve (discard the solids) and return the liquid to the pot. Set pot over medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until reduced to about 1 cup (240 ml/8 fl oz) thick gravy, 20–30 minutes. Taste and add salt, if needed (it may not need any salt if the chicken stock used is salted), then remove from the heat and let cool. 

3. Meanwhile, remove the chicken meat from the bones and shred into bite-size pieces (discard the skin and bones).

4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together. Add the cooled reduced cooking liquid and whisk to combine. Set aside.

5. To make the almond layer, in a bowl, stir together the almond flour, sugar, oil, and cinnamon.

6. To assemble and bake, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/Gas Mark 6). Lightly grease a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan. 

7. Place the filo pastry on a flat surface and cover with a damp tea towel to avoid drying out. Take one piece of filo (leaving the rest covered) and fit it into the bottom and up the sides of the cake pan. (The filo will hang over the sides.) Brush the filo lightly and evenly with the oil. Repeat with 4 more sheets of filo, draping them in different directions. Spread about one-third of the egg mixture into the pan. Mix another one-third with the shredded chicken and spoon into the pan. Spread the remaining one-third egg mixture on top and sprinkle with the almond mixture. Fold the overhanging pastry over the top of the pie and brush with oil. Take the remaining piece of filo, fold it in half, and drape it over the top of the pie. Brush it with oil, tucking the edges into the sides of the pan.

8. Bake until golden brown and set, 20–25 minutes. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Just before serving, use a fine-mesh sieve to lightly dust the top of the pie with powdered (icing) sugar, then carefully sprinkle lines of cinnamon in a decorative pattern on top.

The Jewish Cookbook by Leah Koenig (Phaidon $65, hbk). Photography by Evan Sung.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

The pie is then dusted with powdered (icing) sugar and cinnamon, creating a pastry that delicately straddles the sweet-savory line. The pie was originally made with squab or pigeon, but is often made with chicken today. It is labor intensive, so typically saved for holidays like Sukkot and Hanukkah, or special occasions like weddings.