Moroccan Pastilla

Name: Moroccan Pastilla
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: North African
Ingredients: 800g chicken thighs, bone-in (or 2 pigeons if available); 12 sheets filo (phyllo) pastry, thawed if frozen; 100g blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely ground; 5 large eggs; 1 large onion, finely grated; 50g butter, melted (plus extra for brushing); 3 tbsp neutral oil; 1 large bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 1 small bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting; 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 1/2 tsp saffron threads, steeped in 2 tbsp warm water; 1/2 tsp white pepper; 1/2 tsp fine salt; 3 tbsp icing (powdered) sugar, plus extra for dusting; 2 tbsp orange blossom water; 1 egg yolk (for sealing the pie)

A show-stopping Moroccan pie of shredded spiced chicken (traditionally pigeon), scrambled eggs, and toasted almonds, enclosed in gossamer-thin warqa pastry — then dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Sweet, savory, and breathtakingly complex.

⏱60 min prep 🔥50 min cook ⏰110 min total 🍽6 servings 📊hard

The Cultural Story

Pastilla — called b'stilla or bastilla in Morocco — arrived in Fez in the late 15th century, carried by the Moorish refugees fleeing the fall of Andalusia. These were people of extraordinary culinary sophistication, trained in the kitchens of Granada and Córdoba, where Arab, Berber, and Christian cooking had intermingled for seven centuries. They brought with them the Andalusian tradition of combining sweet and savory in the same dish — a concept that still defines Moroccan cuisine and separates it from every other North African cooking tradition. The pigeon filling was a signature of Andalusian banquets; in Fez, it became the centerpiece of wedding feasts and royal celebrations. The pastry — warqa — is one of the most technically demanding in the world. A skilled cook in Fez can pull a single sheet so thin you can read a letter through it, working wet dough by patting it onto a hot copper plate in rapid circular motions, building translucent layers one touch at a time. It is the Moroccan equivalent of Viennese strudel dough or Athenian filo — a culinary technology that takes years to master. This recipe uses store-bought filo pastry, which produces a good approximation. The filling, however, is non-negotiable in its construction: three distinct layers — the spiced poultry, the herb-flecked scrambled eggs, and the ground almond-cinnamon-sugar mixture — must all be present. The powdered sugar on top is not garnish. It is essential to the experience. Pastilla is served at the beginning of a Moroccan feast, before the tagine and couscous, because it is the most laborious dish and therefore the highest expression of hospitality. When a Moroccan family makes pastilla for you, they are telling you something. They spent all day on this. Accept the gift.

Ingredients

800g chicken thighs, bone-in (or 2 pigeons if available)
12 sheets filo (phyllo) pastry, thawed if frozen
100g blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely ground
5 large eggs
1 large onion, finely grated
50g butter, melted (plus extra for brushing)
3 tbsp neutral oil
1 large bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 small bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp saffron threads, steeped in 2 tbsp warm water
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp fine salt
3 tbsp icing (powdered) sugar, plus extra for dusting
2 tbsp orange blossom water
1 egg yolk (for sealing the pie)

Instructions

1MAKE THE CHICKEN FILLING: In a wide pot, combine chicken, grated onion, oil, butter, ginger, turmeric, white pepper, salt, and saffron water. Cover with just enough water to submerge. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 35–40 minutes until chicken is falling off the bone.
2Remove chicken and let cool. Reserve the braising liquid in the pot. When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat finely — discard skin and bones. Season the shredded meat with cinnamon and adjust salt. Set aside.
3MAKE THE EGG LAYER: Return the braising liquid to medium heat. Add parsley and coriander. Beat eggs and pour into the simmering liquid, stirring gently. Cook, stirring, until soft scrambled curds form and most liquid is absorbed — about 5 minutes. The mixture should be moist but not wet. Season with salt. Set aside.
4MAKE THE ALMOND LAYER: In a bowl, combine ground toasted almonds, icing sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and orange blossom water. Mix well. Taste — it should be sweetly fragrant. Set aside.
5ASSEMBLE: Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Lightly oil a round 28cm (11-inch) baking dish or cake tin. Lay one filo sheet in the dish, letting it overhang the edges. Brush with melted butter. Repeat with 5 more sheets, rotating each one slightly to cover the dish evenly. Brush butter between every layer.
6Spread the shredded chicken filling evenly over the filo base. Top with the scrambled egg mixture in an even layer. Spread the almond mixture over the eggs.
7Fold the overhanging filo sheets up over the filling to partially cover it. Lay 3–4 more filo sheets on top (trimmed to fit if needed), brushing butter between each. Tuck the edges under the pie. Brush the top generously with egg yolk mixed with a splash of water, then more butter.
8Bake 20–25 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. Watch it — filo burns fast at the edges.
9Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Then, using a fine-mesh sieve, dust generously with icing sugar — cover the entire top. Draw a crisscross pattern over the sugar with ground cinnamon. Serve warm, immediately.

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