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B’STILLA AU POULET
24 philo leaves, melted butter, egg yolk beaten with water (to seal) and peanut oil.
Chicken filling:
2 fryer/broiler chickens, boned and quartered with giblets
1/2 c smen
Confectioner’s sugar
1 packet (1/2 tsp) saffron powder
4 Tbsp lemon juice
8 eggs, well beaten
Chermoula: see Poultry recipe
Sugared Almond Mixture: Combine in bowl - 3 c ground almonds, 6 Tbsp confectioner's sugar, 4 Tbsp orange flower water, and 1-2 tsp cinnamon.
Butter and Orange Flower Sauce: 4 Tbsp butter and 3 Tbsp orange flower water.
Wash and then rub chicken pieces with coarse salt, let stand 1 hour, then wash off and drain dry. Marinate in Chermoula at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Transfer chicken and chermoula to casserole, add smen and sprinkle with sugar - cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add saffron and cook 30 minutes more. Transfer to a large plate and remove any loose bones. Reduce remaining sauce to a third, and then add lemon juice and beaten eggs and cook, stirring continuously for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.
Assembling the B'stilla:
Brush the bottom and sides of 12-14 inch round pan with melted butter.
Place nine sheets of philo (like a petal) so half of each sheet overhangs the edge. Sprinkle the center with half the sugared almond mixture, leaving 1" around edges of pan. Place two more sheets on top. Sprinkle 2/3 of the Butter and Orange flower sauce over these.
Cover with two more sheets, sprinkle with 2 Tbsp confectioner's sugar and
then arrange the cooked chicken and reduced sauce mixture in the center. Cover with two more sheets, sprinkle with remaining sugared almond mixture, remaining butter and orange water and 2 Tbsp powdered sugar.
Turn up the overlapping pastry leaves and seal them together in the
center with a little beaten egg. Add nine more philo sheets (as in step 1) and fold their edges under neatly. Brush top and sides of pastry with peanut oil and beaten egg yolk and water to form a glaze.
Bake at 425 F for 20 minutes until pastry is golden. Run a spatula under pastry to loosen it from pan, pour off excess butter (reserve it) and carefully invert pastry on a plate, then return it to baking pan, bottom side up. Brush with reserved melted butter and continue baking 10-15 minutes or until golden.
Remove from oven, pour off any excess butter. Invert the pie onto a large serving dish and blot off excess butter with a paper towel. Decorate with lattice strips of cinnamon over powdered sugar to finish. |
