Moroccan B'Steeya

This is the first of two savory pies that I've made in the past week, and wow, was it GREAT. When I took it out of the oven, the Husband and our Guest thought that it was a dessert--probably because I sprinkled it with cinnamon and confectioners' sugar. So despite a little bit of sugar here and there, the phyllo dough, and the sugared almonds, this is indeed a savory, not a sweet pie. Although I didn't find it too hard to make, it's a time commitment. It was also my first time working with phyllo dough, which started out fine, but by the end, the pieces were starting to harden up a bit and stick together. Truthfully, if this happens to you, everything will be just fine. Now that it's fall, try this fabulously unique dish!



Moroccan B'Steeya
Serves 6 to 8

Season the chicken a day ahead so it has time to absorb the flavors. Note: I didn't have time to do this, and only did the seasoning 6 hours ahead. Still yummy regardless.

1 whole roaster chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
Coarse salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus 1/2 cup melted (1 1/2 sticks total)
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper
1 3/4 cups blanched whole almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped (Note: I used slivered blanched almonds because even in the middle of downtown Manhattan, that was all I could find. There must have been a run on whole almonds!)
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup orange-flower water (Note: didn't get this either. I just used water and flavored it very slightly with lemon juice)
1 package (17 ounces) store-bought phyllo dough

1. Put chicken and 1/3 cup salt in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat to dry. Mix chicken, onion, garlic, saffron, ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 cup parsley, and 1/4 cup cilantro in a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.



2. Transfer chicken mixture to a medium heavy pot. Add enough water to cover (about 4 cups). Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Add 1/4 cup butter; cover, and simmer until chicken is falling off the bone, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, adding water to cover if necessary. Transfer chicken to a plate; let cool. Reserve poaching liquid. Remove meat from bones and shred; discard skin and bones. Set chicken aside.



3. Bring reserved poaching liquid to a boil over high heat; cook until reduced to 3/4 cup. Reduce heat to medium high. Slowly add eggs, whisk constantly until mixture is almost set, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup parsley, 1/4 cup cilantro, add the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

4. Stir together almonds, sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 13-inch paella or pizza pan with 2 tablespoons melted butter. (Note: I just used my biggest, deepest skillet. All was fine.) Stir together remaining melted butter and the orange-flower water in a small bowl. Assemble b'steeya: Brush a sheet of phyllo with butter mixture. Put in pan, leaving a 4-inch overhang. Repeat, adding an buttering 7 more sheets of phyllo, overlapping layers and fanning out around pan. (Keep unbuttered phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel.)

6. Arrange chicken mixture over dough. Pour in egg mixture. Top with 5 layers phyllo brushed with butter mixture. Sprinkle with almond mixture.



Fold up edges of phyllo to enclose. Top with 5 layers phyllo brushed with butter mixture; tuck edges inside pan. Slightly crinkle 2 unbuttered phyllo over top. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

P.S. I originally planned to make this for the Parents, who were coming down to visit me for my birthday. Because of the horrible rains we had here last week, they cancelled. Luckily, we had a friend who was able to come over and enjoy it with us!