Moorish Chicken And Nut Pie Recipes

MOROCCAN CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• Make the chicken filling: Season the chicken thighs generously on both sides with salt and pepper; go heavy on the pepper. Set aside.
• Put olive oil in a wide, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, turmeric, saffron, ginger, allspice and cinnamon, and stir to combine.
• Place seasoned chicken thighs on top of onion mixture, add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a brisk simmer, cover with lid ajar and cook until chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove thighs from pot and let cool. Continue to cook onion mixture until all broth has evaporated and only onion remains. Turn off heat and let onions cool.
• Remove and discard skin and bones from chicken thighs. Tear thigh meat into 1-inch strips and add to onion mixture. Add raisins and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. (Chicken can be prepared in advance until this point.)
• Put ricotta in a bowl and add mint, preserved lemon, lemon juice, lemon zest and a little salt. Stir to combine, and set aside. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Remove phyllo from package, unroll to make a flat stack and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Assemble the pie: Brush bottom and sides of a 12-inch paella pan or low, round earthenware casserole with warm melted butter. Lay 2 sheets of phyllo side by side in pan, overlapping in the middle by 1 inch, pressing down in the center so phyllo lines bottom of pan, leaving the excess hanging over the sides. Butter the sheets from the center all the way to the edges.
• Repeat the process with 2 more sheets of phyllo, set at a slight angle to the first layer. Paint this layer with butter all the way to the edges. Repeat, setting the pastry again at a slight angle to the previous layer, so the overhanging edges make a complete circle by the end of the process. Make 7 buttered layers of 2 sheets each.
• Fill the pie: Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with half the almonds and pistachios. Spread the chicken mixture evenly across the pan. Drop spoonsful of the ricotta mixture over the chicken mixture. Top the ricotta layer with remaining pistachios and almonds.
• Close the pie by folding all the overhanging phyllo sheets gently toward the center of the pan, pressing to enclose the filling. Brush more butter over the top and tuck in and smooth any stray phyllo.
• Bake the pie for 35 to 40 minutes, until nicely browned and crisp. To unmold, invert pie onto a cool baking sheet, exposing the flat top (formerly the bottom) of the pie. With spatulas, carefully transfer pie to a serving platter.
• Put confectioners' sugar in a mesh strainer, and shake to cover the pie generously, like a thin layer of fallen snow. Cut into wedges to serve, but for the best experience, forgo the fork, and eat the pie with your fingers.

MOORISH CHICKEN AND NUT PIE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. add the onion and cook till it begins to soften, 3-5 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and cook till the onion is very soft but barely browned, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little more olive oil and 1-2 t of chicken stock if the skillet looks dry.
• stir in the chicken and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the paprika, cumin, ginger, cinnamon and cayenne and stir for a few seconds.
• add the 1/2 cup chicken stock, the tomatoes and raisins and cover the skillet and cook for 12-15 minutes.
• the filling should be soft and moist; if it seems a little too wet, increase the heat to high for a few seconds so the liquid reduces.
• season the filling with salt to taste and let it cool completely.
• the filling can be prepared up to a day ahead and refrigerated, covered.
• place the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375. lightly brush a 17x11 inch baking sheet with olive oil.
• lightly flour the work surface. using a floured rolling pin, roll out 1 sheet of puff pastry to a roughly 18x12 inch rectangle.
• transfer it to the oiled baking sheet. (I wasn't really precise in my rolling out of the pastry sheet - I know I didn't roll it out to 18 inches).
• roll out the remaining sheet of puff pastry to a rectangle that is slightly smaller than the first.
• spread the filling evenly over the pastry on the baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch bare along each of the 4 edges.
• sprinkle the pine nuts and almonds evenly on top.
• cover the filling with the second pastry rectangle. fold the edges of the bottom crust up over the top and crimp edges.
• place the egg yolk and milk in a small bowl and whisk to mix.
• brush the top of the pie with this egg wash.
• using a sharp knife, make slits all over the top crust to allow steam to escape.
• bake the pie on the center rack till golden brown and baked through, about 30 minutes.
• let the pie cool till slightly warm or room temperature.
• dust very lightly with confectioners' sugar, cut into squares.

MOM'S CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C.) Place spinach in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender, about 2 to 6 minutes. Drain and cool..
• Place spinach in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Cover with chopped chicken. Sprinkle on the sliced mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Spread sour cream evenly over top. Cover with puff pastry.
• Prick the puff pastry in several places to allow steam to escape. Brush top with beaten egg. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.