B'stilla (Pigeon Pie) - Mediterranean Recipe

B'stilla (Pigeon Pie)

🌍 Mediterranean, Morocco (Fez) Difficulty: ●●●○○

B'stilla represents the pinnacle of Moroccan court cuisine — the sweet-savory combination reflects medieval Arab culinary philosophy.

Ingredients

• 500g pigeon
• quail
• or chicken meat braised and shredded
• 6 eggs beaten into braising liquid
• 100g blanched almonds fried and chopped
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ginger
• ½ tsp saffron
• 12 sheets warqa or phyllo
• 100g butter melted
• extra cinnamon and sugar for top

Method

1. Braising — Braise meat with onion, saffron, ginger. Remove meat, shred.
2. Reducing — Reduce braising liquid, scramble eggs into it — should be dry.
3. Mixing — Mix almonds, sugar, cinnamon.
4. Layering — Layer phyllo in buttered round pan, buttering each sheet. Layer: egg mixture → almond mixture → meat.
5. Folding — Fold over phyllo, top with more sheets, butter.
6. Baking — Bake 190°C (375°F)/190°C (375°F) 25–30 min. Dust with sugar and cinnamon in crosshatch pattern.

Tags: pigeon, quail, or chicken meat braised and shredded, eggs beaten into braising liquid, blanched almonds fried and chopped · Source: Brittani's Almanac