I had the amazing privilege of traveling to Morocco in 2023. It was truly an experience to visit what was once home to a massive Jewish community. We were welcomed with so much warmth and food! Moroccan cuisine is so vibrant and delicious. The constant combination of sweet and savoury in every dish has always been my weakness, and Moroccan Jews do this instinctively.In Morocco, these pies are single-serving and served as appetisers. I’ve made it more of a family-sized dish to serve as part of the main meal. That’s not to say you can’t revert to individual servings. To do so, you’ll need many more filo leaves, but the same amount of filling.

If you have a lot of leftover chicken, this is the recipe to use. Alternatively, you can buy a fully cooked roasted chicken, or when roasting chicken for another dish, add an extra one. Once cooked, shred the chicken and freeze it until you’re ready to make this show-stopping pie. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1kg onions, diced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 – 2 tablespoons ras el hanout spice blend
• 70g (½ cup) dates, pitted, finely chopped
• 1 medium pre-roasted chicken (about 2kg), shredded
• 70 g (½ cup) pine nuts, toasted
• 1 x 20g packet flat-leaf parsley, stalks and leaves finely chopped
• 1 x 20g packet coriander, stalks and leaves finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons clear honey
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Filo pastry, 4 or more sheets
• ½ cup olive oil, for brushing the sheets of filo
• icing sugar or superfine sugar to dust

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven: Set oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease a cast-iron skillet or 20cm (8-inch) round baking tin and set aside.
2. Cook the onions: Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons olive oil and then the onions. Cook, stirring regularly to encourage caramelisation. Once golden and sticky, reduce heat. Add cinnamon, ginger, ras el hanout, and dates. Cook until fragrant, then turn off the heat.
3. Mix the filling: Add shredded chicken, toasted pine nuts, parsley, coriander, and honey to the pan. Season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Loosen the mixture: Turn the heat to low and gradually stir in up to 1 cup of cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is saucy but not wet.
5. Prepare the filo base: Lay out the filo and peel off one sheet. Brush with olive oil and fold into quarters to create a thicker base. Place in the greased pan.
6. Line the tin (see detailed instructions below): Add five more filo sheets as described in the lining guide below.
7. Fill and fold: Add the chicken mixture to the lined pan. Fold the overhanging filo over the filling, brushing each layer with olive oil. Brush the top layer well with the remaining oil.
8. Bake the pastilla: Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the tin and bake for another 10–15 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
9. Finish and serve: Remove from the oven and dust with icing sugar while still hot.

How to line the tin with filo:

1. Grease the Pan: Before you start layering the filo pastry sheets, make sure the pan you are using is greased. This means applying a thin layer of oil to the inside of the pan.
2. Start by Lining the Tin: Begin by placing one sheet of filo pastry at the bottom of the tin. This sheet should cover the entire bottom of the tin and extend beyond the edges. Half of the sheet should be inside the tin, and the other half should hang out of it. This overhang will later be used to fold over the filling.
3. Brush with Olive Oil: Brush the half of the filo sheet that is inside the tin with olive oil. This adds flavor and helps the pastry become crispy as it bakes.
4. Repeat with Another Five Sheets: Continue this process with another five sheets of filo pastry. Each time, place one sheet at a 45-degree angle to the previous sheet. This means that if the first sheet was horizontal, the second sheet should be at a 45-degree angle (tilted) relative to it. As you layer each sheet, half of it should be inside the tin, and the other half should hang out.
5. Center Lined with Six Sheets: After you’ve completed the process with all six sheets, your pan’s center should be lined with six sheets of filo pastry. These sheets will form a layered base for your recipe.
6. Each Sheet Sticking Out: Each of the six sheets should be sticking out in its own direction, with filo pastry hanging off of each side of the pan. These overhanging sheets will be used to cover and encase the filling.

MAKE AHEAD:

1. The pastilla can be prepared up to a day before serving. Allow it to cool completely and store it in the fridge uncovered. If you cover the pastry, it will become soggy. To reheat, place it in a hot oven at 180°C/350°F for 20 minutes until heated through or on a hot plate for several hours.
2. Though you can freeze the pie, the pastry may become slightly soggy when it comes out of the freezer. Nevertheless, you can make the pie, cool it, freeze it uncovered, and once it’s fully frozen, cover it with plastic wrap. Defrost it completely before reheating.