From the story: Delicious Life.
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. When they first introduced me to the dish, I loved it so much I just had to learn how to make it. On my first attempt the recipe seemed just a bit too complicated—especially working with the phyllo dough assembling the final dish. I realized just why this is actually a special holiday treat in Morocco and not an everyday dish.
Then I discovered how much simpler it is when you make this recipe step-by-step. So I’ve broken it down here into easy steps for you. But it still comes with a warning: This dish is very delicious to eat, but it’s not for the impatient to make. The other warning is that it contains ingredients that are not at the top of the healthiest foods list—it remains very close to the original, native recipe in order keep it as authentic as possible. (The healthier ingredient substitutes I tried seemed to change the flavor and consistency too much.)
Note: If you want to simplify this prep even more, you can make the chicken and egg mixtures the day before and finish the recipe the next day.
Traditional Chicken Bastilla of Morocco
Ingredients
Chicken Mixture.
- 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. Or, can use ¼ cup cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil instead your preference
- ¼ cup cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon white ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon black ground pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Himalayan sea salt or Celtic salt (add one teaspoon at a time, tasting after first teaspoon to see if it needs more) to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground tumeric
- ½ to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon can substitute with 1 to 2 sticks cinnamon
- 1 large pinch saffron thread crumbled in mortar and pestle, or tiny pinch of saffron powder to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1-3 tablespoons filtered water optional
Egg Filling.
- 9 large eggs, blended in NutriBullet or blender
- 1 pinch Himalayan sea salt or Celtic salt (optional)
- 1 pinch black pepper, ground (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon butter or cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil for pan to cook eggs
Almond Filling.
- 2½ cups raw whole almonds, blanched can buy blanched or blanch yourself
- ½ cup powdered sugar (to taste) can substitute ½ cup coconut sugar by putting coconut sugar in NutriBullet, Vitamix or other heavy-duty blender and blending to fine powder
- 6 tablespoons orange flower water to taste
- 2 tablespoons softened butter, no salt (goat or cow)
For phyllo layers.
- 2 packages Athens Frozen Phyllo Dough 1 pound per box
- 1 large egg yolk, beaten to brush on top of Bastilla before baking
- 1 stick (quarter-pound) unsalted goat or cow butter, melted
Topping.
- ½ cup powdered sugar, reserved for after pie is baked sift at time of use, a little at a time to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, reserved for after pie is baked (optional) to taste
Instructions
Preparing to use phyllo dough.
- Bring two packages of Athens Frozen Phyllo Dough to room temperature before using. Follow package directions for defrosting, refrigerating, and leaving at room temperature. Do not open package until you are completely ready to use, as the phyllo dries out very quickly.
Prepare chicken mixture.
- Wash chicken. Let dry on paper towels.
- Place all spices on a plate.
- Heat oil and butter in deep heavy pan on stovetop. Once butter/oil is hot, add onions and cook until they take on a translucent, yellowish color. To this add the chicken and all spices. Mix completely so that the onions and chicken are both immersed in the spices. Add fresh parsley and cilantro. Cover pan. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, checking intermittently and turning chicken so as not to stick to pan or turn brown (can adjust heat level on stove if you feel it is too high or too low, as each stove’s temperature can vary slightly). As it cooks, the chicken should release its own juices. If at 30 minutes the chicken does not release enough of its own juices to partially cover chicken, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of water (optional, as needed) and continue cooking, covered, checking at 10 minute intervals and stirring to make sure the chicken does not stick to pan or turn brown. Repeat this step until the chicken is tender and falls off the bone easily with a fork (about 60 to 90 minutes total). Once ready, remove chicken and bones from pan and place in a bowl to cool; set aside, leaving the onion sauce mixture in the pan.
- While the chicken is cooling, simmer the onion mixture until it reduces to a thick saucy consistency and the flavor intensifies. Remove cinnamon stick (if used). Continue to watch over sauce to be sure it doesn’t burn. When ready turn off heat and set aside.
- Once chicken is cooled down, remove all meat off bones and discard bones. To this, add 1/2 of the onion sauce mixture and stir. At this point you can taste the chicken mixture and add any extra spices for stronger flavor (optional). I sometimes will add a few extra sprinkles of salt, cinnamon, ginger, and/or saffron. This is entirely up to your taste. Mix and set aside. Time to move on to the scrambled egg filling.
Prepare the scrambled egg filling.
- Beat eggs, salt, and pepper with whisk, fork, or electric mixer or blender. When mixed, add cilantro and parsley and stir. Heat a large skillet with olive oil or butter on medium-low (can adjust as needed). When butter or oil is hot, add remaining onion sauce that was set aside. To this add egg mixture. Stir and continuously mix with spatula in circular motions until they look like scrambled eggs and are cooked throughout. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
- Special note if you want to make this dish the day before cooking: At this point you can put chicken filling and egg filling into individual airtight containers and refrigerate them to use the next day. Or you can move on directly to the almond filling and continue with the cooking.
Prepare almond filling.
- Be sure your almonds are blanched. If almonds are not blanched, you will need to blanch them.
- Bake almonds: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spread blanched almonds onto sheet in one layer. The cooking process happens very quickly—in a matter of minutes! Watch almonds while cooking at 1 minute intervals. Almonds are ready when just golden brown. Do not allow them to become dark brown in oven, as the almonds will continue browning for a few minutes when they are removed from oven. Do not burn; using burnt almonds will ruin the entire dish. Remove from oven and set aside.
- When almonds are cooled, put into food processor and grind to a fine, smooth texture. Add butter, powdered sugar and orange flower water. Can mix in food processor briefly on pulse, or in a bowl by hand. Set aside. Now it is time to assemble the bastilla.
Putting it all together.
- Use either two 9" round or four 6" round baking pans. I use the smaller pie pans and freeze a least one of them for another time. Keep in mind that you may end up utilizing all the egg or almond mixtures and have extra chicken mixture remaining. (So that it will not go to waste, I have created the Surprise Leftover Moroccan Shredded Chicken Salad recipe.)
- For Video Instructions: Assembling the bastille is the biggest challenge. Step-by-step written instructions for assembly appear below. But if you are like me, you may prefer a visual guide. So after following my recipe for the fillings, here's where you can go... Please Google the YouTube video Cooking with Alia and fast forward to the 5-minute, 11-second spot where she begins to demonstrate how to layer the phyllo. I could not show it better myself. It is Episode 62, Moroccan Chicken Bastilla. The phyllo layering can be a bit complicated for those new to the process, and this visual is very helpful.
- For Written Instructions: Line up five bowls side by side on a clean counter: chicken mixture, egg mixture, almond mixture (each with its own spoon), melted butter, and beaten egg yolk. Be sure to have your basting brush handy for the melted butter and egg yolk topping, and all other tools to scoop the other ingredients.
- Grease your pan/s with some of the melted butter.
- The next steps describe how to layer sheets of phyllo in the baking pan with filling in between. Very important: I cannot stress enough how quickly phyllo dough dries out. To avoid it from drying out in the assembling process, keep unused dough covered with a damp towel and remove each piece one-by-one as you use it, always replacing damp towel over the remaining dough.
- Lift first sheet of phyllo, fold it in half horizontally and lay in center of baking pan. Fold second sheet in half and lay in pan so top edge is about an inch lower than top edge of sheet underneath (in other words, stagger the sheets), producing a little overhang. Fold third sheet in half and place it about an inch higher than first sheet, producing a little overhang on that side. Brush top sheet with melted butter.
- Repeat the same folding procedure for the next three sheets, only this time you will lay the sheets so that they surround the baking dish on three sides. Place the top half of each folded sheet in the center of the baking dish, letting the other half drape over the edge and onto the counter. The idea here is to make a bottom crust strong enough to hold all the ingredients without separating or breaking. Butter entire phyllo in pan. At this point you can add the chicken mixture as the bottom layer. Cover chicken mixture with two or three more folded sheets of phyllo. Brush top sheet with melted butter.
- Add egg mixture. Cover with two to three more folded sheets. Brush top sheet with melted butter.
- Add almond filling. Bring the 4 side pieces of phyllo draped over the sides into the center of pan and brush top first with melted butter.
- Now you will add 4 sheets of phyllo without folding them, as follows. Place one full sheet of phyllo on top, tuck edges in and under pie (inside of pan), and brush with melted butter. Repeat 3 times. On the third time, before brushing with melted butter, press down gently all over pie to make even. Then brush with thin layer of melted butter before moving on to the egg yolk.
- Brush top of pie with egg yolk to produce a golden brown, crunchy crust. You may also brush over egg a drop of oil (optional).
Baking.
- Place in oven preheated to 350°F for 30 minutes. Check color. If golden brown, bastilla is done. If not yet golden brown, check in 5 minute intervals until done (amount of time varies depending upon the oven). When done, remove from oven and let cool until it is warm (not hot). While warm, sprinkle top with ½ cup powdered sugar or less, using a small sifter. (May add less, taste, and then decide whether to add remainder.) You may make a design on top with a little ground cinnamon, using a stencil if you wish. This is for decoration. Use the cinnamon sparingly so it doesn't overwhelm the flavors of the bastilla.
If you freeze bastilla.
- Bastilla can be frozen for future use. If you do freeze it before baking you can put it directly in preheated oven at 350°F, but it will take longer to cook. Check in 30 minutes and continue checking until golden brown; can take up to 1 hour, but always continue to check to make sure it does not burn.
Notes
Any leftover chicken can be used in my newly created, very simple recipe for lunch the next day. Now that all the spices and flavors in the chicken have married overnight, you don't even have to spice it! Just go to Surprise Leftover Moroccan Chicken Shred Salad. Within 5-10 minutes you can have a versatile, delicious dish that can be served as a salad, a sandwich, or by itself.
