Ingredients Print

Check off ingredients as you go

Serves 6-8

For the poussin filling

• 2 large poussins (Cornish game hens; or 1 large chicken)
• 1 Tbsp (50 g) neutral oil
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 150 ml (⅔ cup) cold water
• 4 large onions, thinly sliced
• A few saffron threads (optional)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 4 Tbsp granulated sugar

For the egg layer

• 6 large eggs, beaten
• Salt, pepper

For the almond filling

• 250 g (1¾ cups) unsalted almonds
• 2 Tbsp powdered sugar (icing sugar)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
• 200 ml (¾ cup + 1 Tbsp) sunflower oil

For the pastry wrapping

• 10 brik pastry sheets (or spring roll wrappers)
• Neutral oil (for brushing the sheets)
• 1 egg, beaten (for sealing)

To serve

• 2 Tbsp powdered sugar

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

Originally, Moroccan pastilla was a festive dish made with pigeon. Since pigeons aren’t exactly running around everywhere – well, actually they are running around everywhere, just not at the butcher’s – I made it with poussins, which have wonderfully tender meat and work beautifully in this recipe.

The best way to plan ahead is to make the filling the day before; then all you have to do on the day is assemble and bake.

Making the filling

1. In a large Dutch oven, pour in the tablespoon of oil and heat over medium heat. Add the poussins and brown them on all sides for a few minutes. Set aside.

2. In the same pot, add the sliced onions, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon stick, saffron, salt and pepper. Once the onions have softened, return the poussins to the pot and pour in enough water to come almost up to the top of the birds. Stir well, cover and cook over medium heat for half an hour, stirring from time to time.

3. When the poussins are cooked, transfer them to a plate to cool, then remove the bones and shred the meat coarsely.

Making the egg layer

4. Return the sauce to the heat and keep cooking until the liquid has completely evaporated. Add the cinnamon and sugar to caramelize the onions.
5. Add the parsley, then the beaten eggs to the caramelized onions, stirring so they blend in and the eggs cook. The mixture should be nice and thick, with no liquid left. This step is important: if the mixture is too watery, it will soak through the brik pastry.

Making the almond filling

6. In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, pour in the oil and add the blanched almonds to brown them. Drain well and place in the bowl of a food processor with the cinnamon and powdered sugar.

Assembling the pastilla

Assemble with the filling cold, so the pastry sheets don’t tear.

7. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a round pan (a round cake pan, springform pan or a fairly deep pie dish) with parchment paper and brush the bottom with oil. Brush each brik sheet with oil and stack them, oiled side up. They should hang over the edge of the pan (see the photo).

Lay 4 brik sheets in the bottom of the pan, overlapping one another and letting about half of each of these 4 sheets hang over the outside of the pan.

Add two sheets in the center to complete the base of the pastilla. Spread a layer of the egg mixture over the sheets, distributing it evenly to cover the whole surface.

Cover with a brik sheet. Add the poussin meat in the same way and cover with another brik sheet.

Finally, add the crushed almonds.

Fold the overhanging edges of the sheets inward, bringing them into the center and pressing lightly so they hug the almond layer.

Brush with beaten egg to seal the sheets. Cover with a brik sheet to close the pastilla, tucking the edges down inside the pan.

Brush the top of the pastilla with egg and bake for 30 minutes in the middle of the oven, or until it is beautifully golden.

Transfer the pastilla to a serving platter (or simply release the ring if you used a springform pan), dust with powdered sugar (and a little cinnamon, if you like) and serve immediately.

Tips and variations

• You can make individual pastillas in small molds; it looks very pretty and makes serving easy, since everyone gets their own pastilla and there’s no need to cut it.

• As mentioned, the filling can be made the day before.

• The brik sheets can be replaced with phyllo dough if needed.

• If you can’t find poussins, you can make the recipe with boneless chicken thighs (pargiyot, as they’re called in Israel).

• The number of brik sheets you need will depend on their size and on your pan. Mine are fairly small, so you may need a few less. The photos will give you a good idea of what it should look like.