The flavours of this hearty pie are similar to the Moroccan pastilla made with a fine brik pastry.
You’ll need
12fillo pastry sheets 150 gmbutter, melted Sesame seeds, to serve Spiced chicken filling 1 tbspghee 1 onion, finely chopped 1 (1.2 kg)chicken, jointed into 4 pieces 150 mlchicken stock 30 gmginger, finely grated ½ tspground turmeric 4cardamom pods, bruised 1cinnamon quill, broken in half 65 gmnatural almonds 4eggs, lightly beaten ¼ cupcoarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and coriander
Method
01For spiced chicken filling, preheat oven to 180C and heat ghee in a casserole over medium-high, then add onion and sauté until soft and starting to colour (5-7 minutes). Add chicken to pan along with stock, ginger and spices and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, then cover, transfer to the oven and braise until chicken is tender (1 hour 20 minutes). Cool, then remove chicken from sauce, shred meat (discard skin and bones) and place in a bowl. Remove whole spices from sauce, then refrigerate sauce and chicken separately, covered, until chilled (2 hours). Roast almonds on a tray until golden (5-7 minutes), cool, then chop coarsely and set aside. Spoon fat off top of sauce, then bring sauce to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in eggs, then stir until sauce thickens (1½-3 minutes; eggs may scramble a little). Cool completely, then combine with chicken and herbs, season to taste and refrigerate
02Preheat oven to 190C. Brush a sheet of fillo with melted butter and place in a 22cm-diameter, 4cm-deep pie dish. Repeat with another 7 sheets, placing each slightly askew to the former so the dish is evenly covered (pastry will overhang the rim). Spoon filling into dish, fold in overhanging pastry, then top with individually buttered remaining fillo sheets, placing askew to each other as before. Trim edges, brush top with melted butter, scatter with sesame seeds and bake, turning pan occasionally, until pastry is golden and crisp (30-35 minutes). Serve hot from tin – the pastry softens if left to stand.
Source: Turmeric and ginger chicken fillo pie :: Gourmet Traveller
