Monday- New Years Eve!!!

[sandinista! 1,816]

chicken/pigeon bastilla is my FAVORITE moroccan dish! too bad my husband doesn't love it or i would make it sometimes! i have the BEST recipe i can dig up if you really plan on making it. its a long process but well worth it if you like a sweet/savoury combo!

ps. i got my kitty back from the hospital today!!!!! he's looking good... doctor wants to keep a close eye on him in case he has heart failure. i have to keep count of his breath once a day to make sure it doesn't continue to rise. hopefully mykitty will be healthy in '08!!!

i hope so too!

[RAKASA 0]

Here's the recipe I use for chicken b'stilla. My hubby loves it and so does everyone who's tasted it when I've made it (I make it pretty regularly). I was put off for the longest time thinking what a b!tch it must be to make, but it's really not difficult, just a little "involved".

B'STILLA

Filling -

2T veg oil (I use olive)

1 onion finely chopped

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 C minced fresh flat leaf parsley

2 T minced fresh cilantro (I use a bit more)

1/4 t ground turmeric

8 threads saffron, crushed

1 C water

1 t ground ginger

1 1/4 t ground cinnamon

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 t salt

1/2 t pepper

2/3 C powdered sugar

Almond mixture -

1/2 C whole blanched almonds (I used split almonds)

1/2 C powdered sugar

1 t ground cinnamon

12 sheets phyllo dough, thawed

1 C (2 sticks) butter, melted (I completely skip this and used spray butter stuff)

ground cinnamon & powdered sugar for garnish

Filling: In a large saucepan over med heat, heat the oil. Saute' onion until golden (6-8 min). Add chicken, parsley, cilantro, turmeric, saffron, water, ginger, & cinnamon. Cover & cook until the chicken is tender (20-25 min). Transfer chicken to a bowl or plate and set aside to cool. Let the sauce continue to simmer in the pan and add the beaten eggs, salt, pepper, & sugar. Stir constantly until the eggs are scrambled. Shred the chicken & add it to the egg mixture. Set aside.

Almond mixture: In a blender or food processor, coarsely grind the almonds and mix w/ sugar & cinnamon. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove 12 sheets of phyllo from the pkg and re wrap the remaining phyllo in its original wrap. Refrigerate for future use.

Stack the 12 sheets on a work surface and cover w/ a damp towel. Spray a little butter on a pizza pan or baking sheet. Layer 3 sheets of phyllo, lightly spraying each layer w/ butter. Sprinkle the 3rd sheet evenly w/ 1/2 of the almond mixture. Layer & butter 3 more sheets. Spread the chicken mixture evenly over the top, leaving a 1 1/2" border of phyllo. Fold over the edges to partially cover the chicken mixture. Layer & butter 3 more sheets over the chicken, sprinkling the remaining almond mixture evenly over the top. Layer & butter the last 3 sheets of phyllo over the almond mixture. Tuck the edges of the last 6 sheets under the b'stilla as you would a bed sheet (@ this point, I take another baking sheet and place it on top, then flip it over & seal the last 6 sheets of phyllo from bottom to top) - does that make sense?

Bake the b'stilla until golden brown (20-25 min). Place the powdered sugar in a fine-meshed sieve. Tap the sides of the sieve to cover the surface of the b'stilla lightly & evenly w/ sugar. Using thumb & forefinger, sprinkle ground cinnamon over the top (most people make criss-cross patterns). Serve immediately, before pastry becomes soggy.

**It took me a long time to finally make this b/c I thought it would be a really daunting task. It's not - it's a lot of steps, but it's really easy and didn't take as long as I thought.

Note: These can be prepared in advance and frozen uncooked in aluminum foil. It will keep up to 2 months in the freezer. No need to thaw before baking, but bake for 10 min extra if frozen.

**This makes about a 10" pie and easily serves 4 average plates.

Recipe from "Cooking at the Kasbah" by Kitty Morse (w/ some personal notes adapted in parentheses).

[doodlebugg 10]

Thanks for the recipe. I think someone had posted something similar before but what you said pastilla I thought of paella which is something I've always wanted to try. I will try this sometime though but my kids won't eat it and my husband saw a pic of it once and asked that I please don't make this thing. lol

[~Jackie~ 30]

Happy New Year's eve MENA! Hope you all have a safe and happy night.

J

[melly 0]

The bastilla recipes look interesting but not interesting enough for me to make. lol

I'm still trying to figure out what it would taste like.

How's the snow Jackie, getting a lot?

[~Jackie~ 30]

I am getting 3 inches.

J

[sereia 0]

its hard to describe... think a phyllo pastry filled with herbed scrambled eggs, chicken, and almonds, dusted with powdered sugar. its really odd. a lot of americans don't like sweet with meat flavoring but i looooooooooove it!

[melly 0]

its hard to describe... think a phyllo pastry filled with herbed scrambled eggs, chicken, and almonds, dusted with powdered sugar. its really odd. a lot of americans don't like sweet with meat flavoring but i looooooooooove it!

Yeah, that's definitely not common here as far as I know.

I guess I would be willing to try it. But being that I'm vegetarian (except for chicken shawerma in Egyt, lol), I guess I wouldn't make it just for myself.

I'll see if hubby knows it. Maybe if he likes it I can try it sometime.

[Jenn! 918]

its hard to describe... think a phyllo pastry filled with herbed scrambled eggs, chicken, and almonds, dusted with powdered sugar. its really odd. a lot of americans don't like sweet with meat flavoring but i looooooooooove it!

I think it must be hard to get the balance of ingredients just right. When I made mine, the flavors were good, but it was too dry. I've tried a few from some Moroccan shops around here and they often taste like chicken and peanut butter pie to me and sit like a brick in my stomach.

Maybe you can make some, Jen, and send it to me to sample.

ETA: I remember enjoying it when I was in Morocco. Maybe it's something to do with the difference in ingredients available here.

Edited January 1, 2008 by Jenn!

[sereia 0]

i've had so many bastillas in my time and most are really dry like you describe. i tried one in fes that was unbelievably juicy and flavorful. i watched her make it, took photos, and wrote down the recipe but have yet to make it myself (i *think* i could recreate it like she did!!) hehe.

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

I am getting 3 inches.

J

how daring of you

[Nagishkaw 510]

8 Faith Factors for 2008 :

Fianances

Freedom

Fitness

(Divine) Favour

Family

Feelings (positive emotions)

Fruitfulness

Fun

Happy New Year and wishing us all a great 2008 !

[RAKASA 0]

i've had so many bastillas in my time and most are really dry like you describe. i tried one in fes that was unbelievably juicy and flavorful. i watched her make it, took photos, and wrote down the recipe but have yet to make it myself (i *think* i could recreate it like she did!!) hehe.

The recipe I posted above has never been dry when I've made it and it even reheats well.... go figure! It's really yummy. Last batch I made (Dec 23 for the family) I had extra, so we are having that tonight for our anniversary dinner! woooooohoooooooo!!!! We love bstilla around here!

[~Jackie~ 30]

Much more than I am used to

j

[Jenn! 918]

Is the siggie gonna be complete at midnight, J? I don't know if I can wait that long!