Ingredients

Check off ingredients as you go

Serves 6 to 8

For the Cornish hen filling

• 2 large Cornish hens (or 1 large chicken)
• 1 tablespoon (50g) neutral oil
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 150ml (⅔ cup) cold water
• 4 large onions, thinly sliced
• A few saffron threads (optional)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the egg sauce

• 6 eggs, beaten
• Salt, pepper

For the almond filling

• 250g (2 cups) unsalted almonds
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
• 200ml (¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon) sunflower oil

For the pastry wrapper

• 10 sheets phyllo dough (or brick pastry)
• neutral oil (for brushing)
• 1 beaten egg (for sealing)
• To serve
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

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

Originally, Moroccan pastilla was a festive dish made with pigeon. Since that’s not readily available at most butchers, I made it with Cornish hens, which have tender meat that works perfectly for this recipe.

The best way to organize yourself is to prepare the filling the day before - you’ll only need to assemble and bake on the day of serving.

Preparing the filling

1. In a large Dutch oven, pour the tablespoon of oil and heat over medium heat. Add the Cornish hens and brown 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. When the onions have softened, return the Cornish hens and pour water over them until it almost covers the hens. Mix well, cover, and cook over medium heat for half an hour, stirring occasionally.

3. When the Cornish hens are cooked, remove them to a plate to cool, then debone and shred coarsely.

Preparing the egg mixture

4. Return the sauce to the heat and continue 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 to incorporate and cook the eggs. The mixture should have a thick consistency with no liquid. This step is important because if the mixture is too watery, it will make the phyllo soggy.

Preparing the almond filling

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

Assembling the pastilla

Assembly must be done with cold filling to prevent the sheets from tearing.

7. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). In a round pan (such as a springform pan, cake pan, or fairly deep pie dish), place parchment paper and brush the bottom with oil. Brush each phyllo sheet with oil, layering them with the oiled side facing up. They should hang over the edges of the pan (see photo).

At the bottom of the pan, arrange 4 phyllo sheets overlapping each other, letting about half of these 4 sheets hang over the outside of the pan.

Add two sheets in the center to complete the bottom of the pastilla. Arrange a layer of the egg mixture on the sheets, spreading evenly to cover the entire surface.

Cover with a phyllo sheet. Add the Cornish hen meat in the same way and cover with another phyllo sheet.

Finally, add the crushed almonds.

Fold the overhanging edges of the sheets inward, bringing them toward the center and pressing lightly so they conform to the almond layer.

Brush with beaten egg to seal the sheets. Cover with phyllo sheets to close the pastilla, tucking the edges inside the pan.

Brush the surface of the pastilla and bake for 30 minutes in the middle of the oven or until beautifully golden.

Transfer the pastilla to a serving platter (or simply remove the springform ring if you used that type of pan), dust with powdered sugar (and optionally with cinnamon), and serve immediately.

Tips and variations

• You can make individual pastillas in small pans - they’re also very attractive and practical for serving since everyone gets their own pastilla and there’s no need to cut it.

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

• Phyllo sheets can be replaced with brick pastry if available.

• If you can’t find Cornish hens, you can make the recipe with boneless chicken thighs (parguit).

• The number of phyllo sheets will depend on their size and your pan. Mine are relatively small, so you might need slightly fewer. The photos help you visualize the result.