Flaky Moroccan pie with spiced chicken, almonds, and icing sugar.
One of the most spectacular dishes in Moroccan cuisine, pastilla wraps layers of crispy warka pastry (or phyllo) around a sweet-savoury filling of spiced chicken (or pigeon), egg, cinnamon, and toasted almonds, dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon.
Serves 6
Simmer chicken with onion, coriander, parsley, ginger, cinnamon, saffron, oil, and salt with enough water to just cover, for 40 minutes until very tender. Remove chicken, shred meat from bones. Reserve cooking liquid.
Reduce cooking liquid until only about 150ml remains. Add beaten eggs and stir over medium heat until set into a slightly dry scramble. Cool.
Mix toasted almonds with 2 tbsp icing sugar and 0.5 tsp cinnamon.
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Brush a 26 cm round cake tin or tart tin with butter. Layer 5 phyllo sheets in the tin, brushing each with butter and letting them overhang the edges.
Layer: almond mixture, then egg filling, then shredded chicken. Fold overhanging pastry over the filling. Top with remaining phyllo sheets, tucking edges under neatly. Brush top generously with butter.
Bake for 30–35 minutes until deep golden. Remove from tin, dust generously with icing sugar. Using a fine sieve, draw a cinnamon lattice pattern on top. Serve immediately.
The sweet-savoury-salty combination is intentional — do not reduce the icing sugar.
Warka pastry (if available) gives the most authentic result.
Taste and adjust salt at the very end — flavors concentrate as liquids reduce, and a final pinch of flaky salt sharpens the whole dish.
Mise en place pays for itself: chop, measure and pre-mix everything before the heat goes on, especially for any step that moves fast.
Use duck instead of chicken for a richer filling.
Make individual small pastillas as an elegant starter.
Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.
Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.
Serve fresh. Leftovers keep 2 days — reheat in oven at 160°C to restore crispness.
Pastilla (Moroccan Pigeon Pie) is evoking the slow tagines and preserved-lemon brightness of North African cooking. Regional variations are the rule rather than the exception — neighboring villages, families and even individual cooks adapt the dish to what's in the pantry and what's in season, which is why no two versions taste exactly alike and why the recipe has stayed alive for so long.
Yes — most of the components can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated separately. Reheat gently and assemble just before serving so textures stay distinct.
Stay close to the role each ingredient plays: swap aromatics for similar ones (shallot for onion, lime for lemon), and keep the fat-acid-salt balance intact. Spice blends can usually be approximated with what's in the cupboard.
Authenticity sits on a spectrum — what matters more is honoring the technique and balance of flavors. If the dish tastes harmonious and respects how cooks in its home region would build it, you're on solid ground.
The two most common issues are under-seasoning and rushing the heat. Taste as you go, season in layers, and give aromatics and proteins the time they need to develop color and depth before moving on.
Per serving (320g / 11.3 oz) · 6 servings total
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