This is another recipe that I saw come across my RSS feed from the craving-inducing magazine that is Bon Appetit. Its a recipe inspired by Morocco’s traditional B’stilla (which is made with squab).  Here’s a link to more information about Moroccan cuisine if you’re interested!

Simple ingredients, ample amounts of aromatic spices, and a lovely delicate crust make this savory/sweet pie a truly enjoyable experience for all your senses!

The finished product in all its flaky, rich, delicious glory…

Moroccan-Style Chicken Pie

Adapted from Jeanne Thiel Kelley of Bon Appetit

NOTE: I strongly suggest making at least the filling ahead of time.  The entire process (including cooking time) took me around 2.5 hours…

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Ingredients -

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (I can’t believe I did not have an onion on hand…I used onion powder instead.)
• 1 cup of broccoli, chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped carrots
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• Sea salt
• Ground Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (I used a heaping 1/2 teaspoon since I omitted the saffron.)
• 1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads (I left this out only because this month’s budget did not allow for $20 spice…I know its a great spice, but this dish turned out really well without it.)
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs (I used three large breasts.)
• 1/4 cup chopped golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (Omitted this.)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley (And this.)

Phyllo:

• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 10 sheets (about 17×12 inches) fresh phyllo pastry or frozen, thawed
• 1/2 cup (about) unsalted butter, melted (for brushing) (and PAM Grape Seed Spray)

For filling:
1. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. (I instead sauteed my carrots and broccoli.) Mix in cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and saffron; stir 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over; stir 1 minute.

2. Add broth; bring to simmer. Sprinkle chicken with salt; add to broth mixture. Gently simmer chicken uncovered until cooked through, reducing heat if necessary to prevent boiling, about 20 minutes. (My breasts took over 30 minutes to cook.  I had to add a bit more chicken stock during the process.) Stir in raisins. Set skillet aside until chicken is cool enough to handle.

3. Transfer chicken to plate. Shred chicken coarsely (a fork works just fine) and return to skillet. If sauce is thin, simmer over medium heat until sauce coats chicken thickly. Stir in cilantro and parsley. Season filling with salt and pepper. Cool filling completely. Can be made 2 days ahead. Just cover filling and chill. (I made mine about 8 hours before cooking.)

For phyllo:

1. Finely grind almonds, powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and cinnamon in mini processor.  (I got to use my new food processor for the first time.    )

2. Stack 10 phyllo sheets on work surface. Invert 9-inch glass pie dish onto stack. Cut around dish through phyllo, making ten 10-inch rounds. Remove dish. Cover rounds with plastic wrap and damp kitchen towel.  (Note: Phyllo dough dries out very quickly and once its dry, its a goner.  I covered mine with a sheet of plastic wrap and a few damp paper towels and replaced both after removing each phyllo piece while assembling the pie.)

3. Brush same pie dish with melted butter. (I sprayed with my PAM.) Place 1 phyllo round on work surface; brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almond mixture. Top with another phyllo round, brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almonds. Repeat stacking with 3 more phyllo rounds, butter, and almonds. Fit phyllo stack into prepared pie dish. Brush with butter.  (Note on butter: I had read reviews that stated the finished product tasted a bit too greasy so I only brushed every third phyllo with melted butter (and the top crust) and sprayed the rest with PAM. My finished pie was not too greasy nor too dry.)

4. Spoon filling evenly over. Place 1 phyllo round on work surface. Brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almonds. Top with another phyllo round, brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almonds. Repeat with 2 phyllo rounds, butter, and almonds. Place stack atop filling; top with remaining phyllo round. Tuck in edges. Drizzle more butter over top. Cut 4 slits through top phyllo stack to allow steam to escape.  Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.  (I assembled my pie about 6 hours before I put it in the oven.)

5. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet. Bake uncovered until phyllo is golden and filling is heated through, about 40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Cut into wedges. Reheating: It reheats ‘okay’ in the microwave but if you want some of the crispness to come back to the phyllo crust, use the oven…..plus, it makes your whole house smell delicious again!

The filling simmering away on the stove…

ps….I did not participate in February’s Daring Bakers Challenge due to a lack of time and desire. It was tiramisu and for whatever reason, that has just never been very high on my Desserts-I-Love-List….and yes….its a very long list. This month’s challenge looks interesting but its another ‘serve immediately’ type dessert…which doesn’t work well with my far too solitary lifestyle. Guess I will have to invite the neighbors over for dessert one night…

Nothing says *comfort food* like Chicken Pot Pies.  (And nothing helps my waist line continue to expand quite like them either…)

There’s been much MUCH eating going down at the Parents-of-Geek Baker-residence and these little pies have been my favorite dinner meal so far.  You can make them in a large pan and dish individual servings from there, but I prefer making individual pies, both for their looks and the fact that each person get more of the delicious crust.

I looked at several recipes and ended up making my own.  You can play around greatly with the filling and if you don’t fancy using canned soup, there are plenty of recipes out there to make your own sauce.  It was just a very easy way to get that thick creaminess I wanted.  Someday – when I have more ambition – I’ll come up with a proper recipe filled with fresh veggies, amazing spices, and homemade sauce….until then, this tasty substitution will have to do!

Enjoy!

Tara’s Individual Chicken Pot Pies

Servings: 4

Ingredients for the Pastry -

• 1 1.4 cup flour
• 1/2-1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt (If you’re using salted butter just leave this out.)
• 3-4 tbsp ice water

Ingredients for the Filling -

• 1 8oz bag of mixed vegetables (Any variety you want.  You can also put in any fresh, steamed, or canned vegetables.  Be aware that if you used fresh veggies they will not get as soft.)
• 1 10 3/4oz can cream of chicken soup (I’m sure cream of potato or mushroom would work fine as well.)
• 1/2 cup milk
  
• 1-2 cups boiled potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (or turkey)
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper (Play around as you please with the spice.  I think paprika or cayenne could add something…)
  

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Combine the first 5 ingredients for the pastry crust until crumbly.  (You can use a pastry blender, knives, or your hands to do this.) Add the water one tbsp at a time until the dough forms a ball.

2. Divide dough into 8 equal balls and roll out 4 of them large enough to cover the bottoms of 4 oven-safe bowls.  (We used small cereal bowls, but many recipes suggested ramekins.)

3. If you are using frozen vegetables, defrost them partially in the microwave for about 3 minutes.  Stir together the soup and milk.  Stir in all the remaining filling ingredients, including the vegetables.

4. Spoon in an equal amount of filling into each of the 4 prepared bowls.  Roll out remaining 4 balls of dough into circles large enough to cover each bowl.  Top each bowl with a dough circle, trim and pinch the sides, and cut vents on top of each pie.

5. Place pies on a baking sheet and bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown.  (I think I ended up baking mine at least 45 minutes…)

While this was a very simplied version and didn’t necessarily have the complex flavor of a completely homemade pot pie….it was excellent comfort food that was easy to make with items already in the pantry and in a short amount of time.