Moroccan B Stella Recipes

MOROCCAN B'STELLA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in pan, then add onions, chicken pieces, parsley, cilantro, black pepper, saffron, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and salt.
• Stir well and add the 2 cups of water.
• Cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from pan and set aside.
• Allow the sauce to cool slightly then add the beaten eggs to the sauce in the pan.
• Cook the eggs with the sauce stirring continually so eggs won't stick.
• When eggs are cooked, remove the pan from the heat and drain the eggs well in a colander.
• Set he eggs aside to cool.
• Open the phyllo and cover with a damp towel so it will not dry out.
• Take an 8-10 inch round baking pan/dish and cover generously with butter.
• Very gently, spread 5 sheets of phyllo dough alternately criss-cross over the pan, leaving some phyllo dough draped around the edges of the pan.
• Add another sheet of phyllo crunched in the middle of the pan.
• Mix together the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon & 1/2 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl.
• Pour some of the cinnamon sugar all around the phyllo.
• Then, add 1/2 of the roasted crushed almonds.
• Cover with 3 more layers of phyllo and pour on 1/2 of the eggs with half of the chicken.
• Cover again with 3 layers of phyllo and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar and almonds.
• Cover with 3 layers of phyllo and pour on the rest of the eggs and the chicken.
• Cover with 2 layers of crunched phyllo and close the draping edges very gently like a rose, without pushing, it needs to be very fluffy.
• Pour the melted butter over the phyllo and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.
• Turn the pan upside down onto a large platter. Mix together remaining cinnamon and sugar.
• Garnish with powdered sugar and make a design with the mixture of cinnamon and sugar if desired.
• Serve hot.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN PIE (B'STILLA)

Steps:

• Heat chicken broth in a 4-quart saucepan; add in saffron, garlic, cinnamon sticks, coriander, turmeric, onion, and carrot.
• Bring broth to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
• Remove cinnamon sticks from broth, decrease heat to medium.
• Stir in parsley and eggs, stirring eggs until they appear like scrambled eggs, but not dry.
• Remove the eggs and vegetables with a slotted spoon and place them in a colander set over a bowl (refrigerate until ready to proceed).
• In a heavy pan, melt the butter; add in the almonds and brown them in the butter, being careful not to burn them.
• Remove from heat, and cool.
• Place the almonds in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; add the 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; pulse on and off until the almonds are ground; set aside until ready to proceed.
• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Unwrap the phyllo dough and cover it with a clean kitchen towel.
• Brush a 13 x 9 inch ovenproof baking dish with melted butter.
• Brush a sheet of phyllo with melted butter, sprinkle it with some of the bread crumbs, and place it in the baking dish; repeat with 5 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each one with butter and sprinkling it with crumbs (you will have 6 sheets total).
• Spread half the egg and vegetable mixture over the phyllo, and sprinkle the filling with half of the ground almonds.
• Cover with 2 more sheets of phyllo brushed with butter and sprinkled with bread crumbs.
• Cover with all the chicken, then top with 2 more sheets of phllyo brushed with butter and sprinkled with bread crumbs.
• Top with remaining egg/vegetable mixture and the remaining ground almonds.
• Cover the pie with 4 more sheets of phyllo, each buttered and sprinkled with bread crumbs (at this point the pie may be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking).
• Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the phyllo is golden brown.
• Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar and ground cinnamon; serve.

INDIVIDUAL B'STILLAS (MOROCCAN CHICKEN AND ALMOND PIES)

Steps:

• To make the almond sugar:
• In a food processor grind fine almonds, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Almond sugar may be made 1 day ahead and kept covered in a cool dark place.
• To make the filling:
• In a small bowl combine saffron with hot water and let stand 10 minutes.
• In a heavy 4-quart kettle sauté onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate and add ginger, ras el hanout, and pepper. Cook mixture, stirring, 3 minutes.
• Add chicken parts, broth, and saffron mixture and simmer, covered, turning the chicken once, until chicken is very tender and cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes. Let chicken stand in cooking liquid off heat 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, reserving cooking liquid and solids, and, when cool enough to handle, shred chicken, discarding skin and bones.
• Measure reserved cooking liquid and solids and if necessary boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 3/4 cups. Reduce heat to moderate and add eggs in a stream, whisking. Cook mixture, stirring, until eggs are set, about 3 minutes. Remove kettle from heat and pour egg mixture into a coarse sieve set over a bowl. Let mixture drain undisturbed 10 minutes before discarding liquid. Transfer egg mixture to a bowl. Stir in chicken, parsley, coriander, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste and chill. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and kept chilled, covered.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. and butter 2 large shallow baking pans.
• In a small saucepan melt remaining 9 tablespoons butter and keep warm but not hot.
• Cut phyllo sheets in half lengthwise and stack between 2 sheets wax paper. Cover wax paper sheets with a kitchen towel. On a work surface arrange a half sheet of phyllo with short side facing you and brush with melted butter. On this, layer and brush 3 more half sheets of phyllo in the same manner.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon almond sugar on short side of phyllo nearest you to cover about 2 1/2-by 4-inch area, leaving a 1-inch border on 3 edges. Put 1/3 cup chicken mixture over almond sugar and spread out slightly. Top chicken mixture with 1 more tablespoon almond sugar and roll up filling in phyllo, folding in sides after first roll. Transfer b'stilla immediately.
• Form 8 more b'stillas in the same manner with remaining phyllo, butter, almond sugar, and chicken mixture, chilling each b'stilla as it is made. B'stillas may be prepared up to this point 4 hours ahead and kept chilled, covered lightly with plastic wrap once cold.
• Bake chilled b'stillas in oven until tops and ends are puffed and browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool b'stillas slightly on a rack. Sprinkle b'stillas with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon and serve warm.
• To make the ras el hanout:
• In a spice grinder or cleaned coffee grinder grind fine aniseed, fennel seeds, allspice berries, cardamom seeds, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cuminseed, and red pepper flakes, In a small bowl stir together ground spice mixture, mace, ginger, and nutmeg until combine well. Ras el hanout may be stored in a tightly closed jar in a cool dark place up to 6 months. Makes about 1/4 cup.

MOROCCAN B'STEEYA

Steps:

• Put chicken and 1/3 cup salt in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Mix chicken, onion, garlic, saffron, ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 cup parsley, and 1/4 cup cilantro in a large bowl; cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Transfer chicken mixture to a medium-heavy pot. Add enough water to cover (about 4 cups). Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Add 1/4 cup butter; cover, and simmer until chicken is falling off the bone, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, adding water to cover if necessary. Transfer chicken to a plate; let cool. Reserve poaching liquid. Remove meat from bones and shred; discard skin and bones. Set chicken aside.
• Bring reserved poaching liquid to a boil over high heat; cook until reduced to 3/4 cup. Reduce heat to medium high. Slowly add eggs; whisk constantly until mixture is almost set, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup parsley, 1/4 cup cilantro, and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Stir together almonds, sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 13-inch paella or pizza pan with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Stir together remaining melted butter and the orange-flower water in small bowl. Assemble b'steeya: Brush a sheet of phyllo with butter mixture. Put in pan, leaving a 4-inch overhang. Repeat, adding and buttering 7 more sheets of phyllo, overlapping layers and fanning out around pan. (Keep unbuttered phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel.)
• Arrange chicken mixture over dough. Pour in egg mixture. Top with 5 layers phyllo brushed with butter mixture. Sprinkle with almond mixture. Fold up edges of phyllo to enclose. Top with 5 layers phyllo brushed with butter mixture; tuck edges inside pan. Slightly crinkle 2 unbuttered phyllo over top. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

SQUAB B'STILLA

Steps:

• Make filling:
• Heat a dry 12-inch heavy skillet over low heat and toast saffron 1 minute, then transfer to a small dish and crumble. Reserve skillet.
• Cut off wings from squabs with a sharp small knife and discard, then cut off legs with thighs. Using kitchen shears, cut out backbone and ribs and discard. Cut breasts in half lengthwise with shears. Pat legs and breast halves dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Heat olive oil in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown squab in 2 batches, skin side down first, turning over once, about 6 minutes total per batch, transferring as browned to a platter.
• After second batch is browned, return all squab pieces to skillet along with onion, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, ginger, saffron, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, then sauté, stirring, 1 minute.
• Add Sherry and boil 30 seconds, scraping up any brown bits. Add broth and water and simmer, covered, turning squab over once or twice, until tender, about 40 minutes.
• Transfer squab with tongs to a platter and reserve cooking liquid in skillet. When squab is cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and finely shred meat, then toss with 3 tablespoons cooking liquid and cover loosely with foil.
• Boil remaining cooking liquid in skillet (without straining) over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until sauce is very thick and reduced to about 1/2 cup, 12 to 15 minutes, then transfer to a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan. (Do not skim fat from sauce.)
• Whisk together eggs and 1/4 cup sauce in a bowl until combined, then whisk into remaining sauce in saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof rubber spatula, until eggs just set into very soft curds, 5 to 7 minutes. (Mixture will have the consistency of very soft oatmeal.) Immediately transfer egg mixture to a bowl and stir in parsley and cilantro. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
• Assemble and bake
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Heat vegetable oil in a 10-inch skillet over moderate heat until just hot, then fry almonds, stirring frequently, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain almonds and cool on a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Brush a 9-inch round cake pan with some of butter. Cover stack of phyllo with plastic wrap and a dampened kitchen towel. Keeping remaining phyllo covered, place 1 sheet on a work surface and brush with butter. Fold in half crosswise and butter again. Repeat with another sheet, buttering, folding, and buttering, then place over first sheet crosswise. Repeat with 2 more sheets, buttering, folding, and buttering, then placing each sheet on top of the previous one in a star pattern to form a round. (Sheets should not align.) Lift stacked phyllo and gently fit into bottom of cake pan and halfway up side.
• Sprinkle almonds over phyllo, then stir squab into egg mixture and spread evenly in phyllo shell.
• Put 1 of remaining sheets of phyllo on a work surface and brush with butter. Fold in half crosswise and butter again. Fold in half (to quarter) and brush with butter. Repeat with remaining sheet phyllo and lay over first sheet crosswise. Place over center of filling. Bring edges of phyllo from side of pan up over filling and quartered top sheets.
• Bake b'stilla until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then invert onto a platter and let stand 5 minutes.
• Sift confectioners sugar over top of b'stilla, then remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut into wedges.