← Nouns Cooking · Moroccan

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg bone-in chicken thighs and legs
• 3 Onion, grated or very thinly sliced
• 40 g Butter
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 bunch Parsley, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp Coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
• 1½ tsp Ground ginger
• 1 tsp Ground turmeric
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 1½ tsp Salt
• 1 pinch Saffron, crumbled
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 250 ml Water
• 6 Eggs, beaten
• 250 g blanched almonds
• 4 tbsp Icing sugar
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp Orange flower water (optional)
• 10 sheets warqa, brick or filo pastry sheets
• 100 g butter, melted
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 2 tbsp icing sugar and ground cinnamon, to dust

Method

1. Put the chicken, onions, 40 g butter, the oil, herbs, spices, salt, saffron, cinnamon stick and water in a large pot. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour, turning the pieces now and then, until the meat falls off the bone and reaches 75°C (165°F).
2. Lift out the chicken. When it is cool enough to handle, shred the meat and throw away the skin and bones. Boil the onion sauce uncovered for 10–15 min, stirring, until only a thick, jammy layer is left. Remove the cinnamon stick.
3. Turn the heat to low, pour in the beaten eggs and stir gently for 3–5 min until softly scrambled and all the liquid is absorbed. Fold in the chicken and leave to cool; a cool, fairly dry filling keeps the pastry crisp.
4. Toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat for 5–7 min until golden. Cool, then pulse with the icing sugar, cinnamon and orange flower water to coarse crumbs.
5. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Butter a 28 cm round tin or ovenproof pan. Lay in 6 pastry sheets, brushing each with butter, overlapping so they cover the base and hang well over the sides.
6. Spread in the chicken filling, then scatter over the almond mixture. Fold the overhanging pastry over the top, brush with butter, then cover with the last 4 buttered sheets, tucking their edges underneath like making a bed. Brush the top with egg yolk.
7. Bake for 30–40 min until deep golden and crisp. Rest for 10 min, then dust with icing sugar and draw criss-cross lines of cinnamon on top. Serve warm in wedges.

Tips

• Contains almonds, eggs, wheat and dairy. Leftover roast chicken makes a quicker filling: start the onions and spices with 250 ml stock.
• You can assemble the pie a day ahead, keep it covered in the fridge, and bake it straight from cold for a few extra minutes.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

196 flavors Curious Cuisiniere My Moroccan Food