If you opt for pigeon, don't catch a feral one at your local park
Bastilla is a giant flaky pie of spiced chicken, lemony eggs and sweet toasted almonds, finished with sugar and cinnamon. We make warqa at home using a brush-on batter method that's far kinder to your arms than slapping it on. Short on time or patience? Phyllo is the accepted backup, and we won't tell.
The challenge
- Making paper-thin warqa dough
- Balancing sweet and savory filling
- Preventing phyllo from tearing
- Layering without sogginess
Warqa dough gets made by repeatedly slapping wet batter onto a hot griddle until you've created translucent sheets, a technique that takes genuine skill and will make your arms scream. The filling is Morocco's sweet-savory fever dream: spiced pigeon or chicken cooked with cinnamon, saffron, and ginger.
The final flourish is an aggressive dusting of powdered sugar and cinnamon in decorative lines across the top, because apparently savory meat pie needed dessert aesthetics.
Prep: 2 hours 30 minutes Β Β·Β Cook: 2 hours
Ingredients
For the warqa (or use 12 sheets phyllo)
- 300 g (2 1/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus 1 tbsp fine semolina
- 1/2 tsp salt and about 450 ml (1 3/4 cups) water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the chicken filling
- 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) chicken thighs, bone in (or 4 pigeons)
- 2 large onions, finely grated
- 4 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt
- A big pinch of saffron threads
- A small bunch each of parsley and coriander (cilantro), chopped
- 6 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
For the almond layer and assembly
- 200 g (1 1/2 cups) blanched almonds
- 60 g (1/2 cup) icing (powdered) sugar, plus extra to dust
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to dust
- 100 g (7 tbsp) butter, melted, and 1 egg yolk to seal
Method
- Braise the chickenIn a large pot, melt the butter with the oil and add the chicken, grated onion, spices, saffron and herbs. Add 500 ml (2 cups) water, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 15 minutes until the meat falls off the bone. Lift out the chicken, cool and shred, discarding skin and bones.
- Reduce and cook the eggsBoil the sauce left in the pot hard for 15-20 minutes until reduced to about 250 ml (1 cup) and thick like jam. Lower the heat, add the lemon juice and beaten eggs, and stir gently for 5-7 minutes until they set into soft, dry curds. Drain in a sieve so no liquid remains, then cool. This is the key to a crisp pie.
- Make the almond layerToast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat for 6-8 minutes until golden. Cool, then pulse in a food processor with the icing sugar and cinnamon until coarse like breadcrumbs.
- Make the warqa batterWhisk the flour, semolina, salt and water into a smooth batter the consistency of thin cream. Rest for 30 minutes, then strain. It should coat a spoon thinly.
- Cook the warqa sheetsTurn a large non-stick frying pan upside down over a pot of simmering water (or use the pan over very low heat). Wipe the surface with oil. With a wide pastry brush, paint a thin layer of batter in overlapping strokes to make a round about 25 cm (10 in) across. When the edges lift and the sheet turns matte and dry, about 30-60 seconds, peel it off. Stack under a damp towel. Make 12 sheets.
- Line the panHeat the oven to 190Β°C / 375Β°F (170Β°C fan). Brush a 28 cm (11 in) round tin or ovenproof pan with melted butter. Lay in 6 sheets, overlapping and hanging over the sides, buttering each one lightly. Place one sheet flat in the centre to reinforce the base.
- Layer the fillingSpread the drained egg mixture over the base, then the shredded chicken, then sprinkle over half the almond mixture. Keep each layer dry; nothing wet should touch the pastry directly.
- Close the pieFold the overhanging pastry over the filling. Cover with the remaining sheets, buttering each and tucking the edges neatly underneath like a bedsheet. Brush the top with butter and the egg yolk.
- BakeBake for 30-40 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Carefully flip the pie onto a tray, bake for 5 more minutes to crisp the base, then flip back onto a serving plate.
- Dust and decorateSprinkle the remaining almond mix lightly on top, then dust generously with icing sugar. Use a ruler or strip of paper to draw criss-cross lines of cinnamon. Serve warm.
- Promise it wasn't a park pigeonPresent the bastilla with its cinnamon lattice on top and assure everyone it's chicken. Or a shop-bought pigeon. Definitely not the one that's been stealing your chips at the beach.
Tips from the trenches
- If the warqa tears, just patch it with another piece; nobody sees the inner layers.
- Keep sheets under a damp (not wet) towel the whole time; dry warqa or phyllo cracks instantly.
- Drain the egg mixture thoroughly; leftover liquid is the number one cause of a soggy base.
- Taste the almond mix and chicken together before assembling and adjust sugar and salt for balance.
βThe more you know, the more you can create. There's no end to imagination in the kitchen.ββ Julia Child
