Bisteeya – Morocco’s Famous Chicken Pie

• BEFORE YOU START, make sure you have allowed the filo pastry to thaw overnight in the refrigerator- not at room temperature- the filo pastry It will get too soft and sticky.
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THE CHICKEN LAYER ( this not just about cooking the chicken. It also involves reducing the stock to a paste. That will be mixed with beaten eggs to make the highly flavored and fluffy egg layer).

• Pat chicken thighs dry. Mince the garlic and coat the chicken. Set aside.
• In a 3 quart saucepan, sauté coarsely chopped onion in 2 tbsp butter.
• Add a generous pinch of saffron, the garlic, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 3/4 tsp ginger, two cinnamon sticks and salt and stir for a couple of minutes.
• Add chicken, 2 cups water, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, Use enough water to cover the chicken, The exact amount of water does not matter as the stock will be reduced later in your preparation. Simmer, covered, for 1/2 an hour. Remove chicken thighs and set aside to cool.
  
• When chicken is cool, shred with your fingers into small pieces (not larger than one inch and preferably shreds rather than chunks). Set aside. This is your chicken layer.
• Reduce the stock until thick with the herbs/onion. A spatula scraped on the bottom of the pot should reveal the bottom for a few seconds (see photo).
  

The egg layer

• Add lemon juice to the reduced stock and whisk the eggs.
• Cook until fluffy but still moist. (You want the consistency of moist scramble eggs. (See photo) and set aside. This is your egg layer.
  

THE SWEET ALMOND LAYER

• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy frying pan on medium heat. Add I 1/2 cup almonds and stir continuously until brown. Remove from heat and cool. Add 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tsp orange blossom water . Set aside. This will be the almond and top layer in the pie.
  

THE FILO PASTRY WRAPPING

• Clarify a 1/4 cup of butter by melting in a small saucepan. Skim solids at the surface (discard) and decant the clear liquid (reserve). There will be some remaining solids in the bottom of the pot (discard these also).
• Open filo according to package directions (be sure to thaw first in the refrigerator – not at room temperature).
• Begin layering the phyllo on a 10" round baking dish, skillet or griddle. To start, lay at least 12 sheets of the filo in a fan shape, leaving edges of each sheet overhanging the pan (see photo). You want enough overhang to cover the sides of a 4” high pie. Butter each sheet as you proceed.
  
• Spread the almond mixture.
• Spread the egg layer over the almonds.
• Spread the shredded chicken over the egg layer.
• Fold over the overhanging sheets of filo to the center of the pie, press down and shape the pie. Butter the top.
  
• Using a large plate, invert the wrapped pie on to the plate. Then slide the pie back onto the skillet, griddle or baking dish and butter what is now the top layer.
• Bake at 350F for approximately 30 minutes. If your pie is not golden brown, increase the oven temperature and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.
• When it is cooked, slide the pie on a serving platter and dust with powdered sugar. Using your fingers, decorate with lines of cinnamon. Cut and serve.
  
• Serve with a fresh salad.