Bsteeya Food

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.

TURKEY B'STEEYA

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine turkey, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, ginger, saffron, turmeric, and cinnamon sticks.
• Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add turkey mixture and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour, 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high. Add almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and toasted, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool completely. Stir in confectioners' sugar and ground cinnamon.
• Transfer all turkey parts from stock to a plate with tongs, then stir lemon juice into stock. Beat eggs and whisk into stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until most of liquid has evaporated, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove and discard cinnamon sticks. Fold in parsley and cilantro. Remove and discard bones and skin from turkey; shred meat into bite-size pieces. Transfer to a bowl and stir in preserved lemon.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 10-by-2-inch round cake pan with some clarified butter. Working with one sheet at a time, place phyllo in pan, allowing edges to overhang all around. Add 6 to 8 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with clarified butter before adding next, in an overlapping circular pattern. Finish by brushing with more clarified butter.
• Layer phyllo evenly with half of turkey mixture, then half of almond mixture and half of egg mixture. Repeat layering process with remaining turkey, almond, and egg mixtures. Fold phyllo overhang over filling to enclose.
• One at a time, crumble 4 separate phyllo sheets into loose balls; place on top of pie. Lightly brush with clarified butter. Bake until heated through and phyllo is golden brown, 50 to 55 minutes.
• Sprinkle pie with confectioners' sugar and ground cinnamon; serve immediately.

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.

BSTEEYA

Steps:

• Cut the game hens into serving pieces.
• Melt two tablespoons of butter in a kettle and add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onions are wilted. Add the turmeric, ginger, cinnamon stick, saffron, allspice, parsley sprigs, salt and peppercorns. Stir to blend and cook briefly. Add the game hen pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the water or broth and bring to the boil. Let cook 45 minutes. Carefully remove the pieces of game hen. Strain the broth into a skillet or saucepan, discarding the solids. Bring the broth to the boil and cook over high heat until reduced to about three-quarters of a cup.
• Put the almonds in a skillet and cook, stirring often, until they are golden brown. Take care that they do not burn. Remove from the heat and let cool. Put the almonds into the container of a food processor or electric blender and process until coarse-fine. Blend with the sugar and one teaspoon ground cinnamon and set aside.
• Pull away and discard the skin and bones from the game hens. Shred the meat. There should be about five to six cups of meat. Set aside.
• Bring the broth to the boil. Pour about one-quarter cup of the simmering broth into the beaten eggs. Add the coriander. Pour this mixture into the remaining broth and cook over very low heat, stirring rapidly with a wire whisk, until the mixture is thickened. Pour and scrape it immediately into a mixing bowl and let cool.
• Select a large Pyrex pie dish, one and three-quarter inches deep and 11 inches in diameter, or another smooth- rimmed utensil of approximately the same size.
• Lay out the phyllo sheets in one stack and have a damp towel at hand to keep the leaves covered to prevent their drying out.
• You will use the top sheet of pastry as you work. Brush the top sheet with clarified butter and transfer it, buttered side up, over the pie plate, letting the outer edges extend outward. Butter a second sheet and add this to the first, buttered side up. Repeat with four more sheets, making a total of six.
• Spoon about half of the egg mixture over the bottom of the pastry-lined pie plate. Smooth it over. Top this with the shredded poultry and smooth it over. Brush six sheets of pastry with butter and add them, buttered side up, over the poultry, letting the outer edges extend outward. Add the remaining egg mixture and smooth it over. Cover the egg mixture with the almond mixture, smoothing it over.
• Fold the overlapping edges of pastry toward the center, covering the upper surface of the pie neatly and well.
• Butter one more sheet of pastry and place it, but tered side down, over the pie, outer edges extended outward. Butter a second sheet and arrange it neatly on top. Carefully tuck the edges of the pastry over the pastry-wrapped pie to make a smooth product.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Place the pie in the oven and bake 20 minutes.
• If any fat has accumulated around the edges of the pie, pour it off carefully.
• Hold a small sieve over the pie and add the confectioners' sugar. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the pie. Decorate the top evenly with the remaining ground cinnamon sprinkled in thin lines over the top to make a wedge or square pat tern. Serve the pie cut into wedges.

BISTEEYA

Steps:

• Place chicken thighs with onion, garlic, parsley, salt, turmeric and ginger. Toss well, rubbing chicken with the spices. Marinate 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Cook chicken with the marinade, chicken broth and cinnamon sticks. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and gently simmer for 1 hour. Remove chicken from broth and set aside.
• Strain broth, and boil it on high heat about 10 minutes, until reduced to 1 3/4 to 2 cups.
• Toast almonds in the microwave for 3 minutes on high. Add powdered sugar and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
• After broth is reduced, add lemon juice and gently simmer another 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium and, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, slowly stir in beaten eggs. Cook, stirring, until eggs are set but not dry. Most of the liquid should evaporate. About 8-10 minutes. Add salt if necessary, cool to room temperature.
• When chicken is cool, shred the meat and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Unroll phyllo. Spray bottom and sides of a 14 inch deep dish pan with butter flavored spray. Arrange 6 sheets phyllo so that half the sheet covers the bottom of the pan and half extends over sides. Spray with butter flavored spray. Fold 4 sheets in half and let them air dry.
• Place shredded chicken on bottom of phyllo in pan. Cover with egg mixture then the 4 dry phyllo sheets. Sprinkle almond/sugar mixture over pastry. Cover with all but 2 remaining pastry leaves. Spraying each with butter flavored spray. Fold the overlapping leaves over the top and spray with butter flavored spray.
• Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Dust top with cinnamon and powdered sugar before serving.

BISTEEYA OR MOROCCAN CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• In a large skillet put 2 tablespoons butter, the chicken pieces, onions, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper,2 teaspoons cinnamon, the ginger, cumin, cayenne, saffron, turmeric and chicken stock.
• simmer gently, covered, until the chicken is cooked, 45 minutes.
• remove the chicken from the sauce and let it cool.
• remove all the bones and tear the chicken into 1 inch pieces.
• bring the liquid to a simmer and add the eggs stirring gently until the eggs are cooked and most of the liquid is evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes.
• add the chicken, cilantro, parsley, salt and pepper and mix well.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Toast the almonds in the oven until they are very lightly golden and hot to the touch, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Coarsely chop them in a blender or food processor and mix with 3 tablespoons sugar and 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon.
• set aside and reserve the rest of the cinnamon sugar for a garnish.
• Melt the remaining 12 tablespoons butter. brush a 12 inch pie pan with the butter.
• place one sheet of phyllo dough on the bottom of the pie plate so that it completely covers the bottom of the plate and extends over one side by several inches.
• brush the whole sheet of phyllo lightly and continue with 7 more sheets moving in a pinwheel effect, brushing butter on each sheet.
• spread the chicken mixture on the phyllo and sprinkle with the almond mixture.
• Fold the overhanging phyllo up over the chicken and almonds and brush with butter.
• then continue adding 7 more sheets of phyllo to the pie as your did before.
• tuck all the overhanging edges under the pie and brush remaining butter over top of the pie.
• place in 375F oven and bake until golden brown and flaky, about 20 minutes.
• sprinkle the garnishing cinnamon and sugar over top.

CHICKEN-FILLED PASTRY (B'STEEYA)

Steps:

• To prepare the filling:
• 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• 2. In a heavy-bottom large stockpot over medium-high heat, add the oil. Season the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper. Working in batches, add the chicken to the hot oil and brown on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes total. Remove the browned chicken to a plate and reserve.
• 3. To the same pot add the onion, garlic, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, cloves, and saffron, and sauté them until they are soft and lightly golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 2 cups of chicken stock to the pot and scrape up any brown pieces sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken back into the pot with any juices, and add more stock as needed to bring the liquids up to the chicken without submerging it. Bring the liquids to a boil. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven until the chicken is cooked through and very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• 4. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it to a plate and let it cool. Shred the cooled chicken into small, bite-size pieces. Reserve for assembly.
• 5. Place the pot of braising liquid over medium heat and reduce the liquids to about 1 cup. Add the butter, brown sugar, parsley, cilantro, and eggs to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until the eggs are scrambled. Remove from the heat and reserve for assembly.
• To assemble the b'steeya:
• 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush a paella pan or skillet lightly with olive oil.
• 2. Lay out, one by one, 10 sheets of phyllo dough onto the pan, brushing each with a little olive oil before placing the next layer on.
• 3. Spread the shredded chicken in a layer in the center of the phyllo, leaving plenty of space for the edges to fold up. Spread the egg mixture over the chicken and top with the almonds.
• 4. Fold the overhanging phyllo dough over the filling to enclose it in a pocket inside the skillet. Brush the top lightly with olive oil and bake until the pastry is crisp and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
• 5. Garnish the finished b'steeya with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Cut into wedges and serve warm.