Chicken in pastry or b'stila

1 Servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
1Chicken
Salt; fresh black pepper
½teaspoonTurmeric
1pinchSaffron
A tablespoon of mixed herbs or \"bouquet garni\"
3largesOnions; peeled and minced
3tablespoonsOil
½cupPareve margarine or diet margarine, clarified
2Eggs plus
cupEgg whites; well beaten
½teaspoonSalt
1cupChopped cilantro or parsley
2cupsGround toasted almonds
1tablespoonCinnamon
12Filo dough sheets
¼cupPowdered sugar

Directions

>From the rfcj newsgroup ...

Place chicken in a roasting pan. If you use saffron threads, let them soak in half a cup of water. Pour on fowl. sprinkle salt, pepper, turmeric and mixed herbs on top. Roast chicken in oven at 400 f for 45 minutes to an hour. cool. Remove skin and all bones. cube chicken. keep giblets, except for the neck, with all the spicy, herbed juice. set aside.

In a skillet, saute minced onions in oil. Place in a bowl.

In the same skillet, with a little oil, fry the beaten eggs mixed with salt and chopped cilantro. Place in another small bowl. Still in the same oiled skillet, toast almonds until slightly brown and grind them in a food processor. Set aside. Clarify the shortening, (margarine) and everything is ready to be put together now.

On the bottom of the pan used to roast the chicken, after washing and greasing it, stack 2 sheets of filo dough, letting edges overhang. Brush on top some of the clarified shortening. At broil, rapidly brown these 2 sheets. Then add cubed chicken, with all spices and juice. Spread again 2 more dough sheets with some shortening brushed on.

Broil rapidly. add soft mixture of eggs with cilantro. Cover with 2 more greased sheets. Broil rapidly. add almonds mixed with cinnamon and sugar.

Finish with your best-looking greased sheets. Tuck in all dough and bake 25 to 30 minutes at 400 f until golden grown. Cool slightly. sprinkle with remaining powdered sugar, making a decorative design with cinnamon on top.

Serve hot. It can be reheated several times. It can also be frozen.

Posted to JEWISH-FOOD digest V97 #230 by jefffree@... on Aug 12, 1997