Bastilla:
Ingredients
1 lb chicken breasts (or thighs)
1 md onion,chopped
3 c chicken stock,preferably-homemade
1/2 c fresh parsley,Chopped
1 stick cinnamon (3 inches -long)
1/2 t ginger,Ground
1/8 t pepper
1/4 t saffron threads
3 eggs
8 sheets phyllo dough,thawed
4 T butter,melted
1 T granulated white sugar
1 t cinnamon
2/3 c chopped almonds,blanched
Powdered sugar,for garnish
Cinnamon,for garnish
Preparations
Preheat oven to 425 F. In a large kettle add the chicken, stock, parsley, cinnamon stick, ginger, pepper and saffron. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until chicken is tender, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Lift chicken from stock and let stand until cool enough to handle. Remove and discard bones and skin. Shred the meat into bite size pieces.
Bring the broth to a boil over medium heat. Lightly beat eggs and pour slowly into the stock stirring until curds form, about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine strainer placed over a bowl. Let stand until well drained. Reserve stock for soup or other uses. Discard the cinnamon stick.
Stack phyllo; keep covered to prevent drying out. Brush some of the butter on the bottom and sides of a 10-inch deep pie pan. Overlap 6 sheets in the pan to cover bottom and extend 8 to 10 inches beyond edge. Brush phyllo with butter. Sprinkle sugar and second measure of cinnamon over phyllo. Top evenly with the chicken. Spread egg mixture over chicken, then sprinkle with almonds. Fold the edges of the phyllo over the filling and brush top with butter. Fold remaining 2 sheets of phyllo in half crosswise and place on pie. Tuck edges inside pan and brush top with butter.
Bake uncovered in a 425 oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Shake
pan to loosen pie. Hold an unrimmed baking sheet loosely over the top of
the pie and invert pan. Lift off pan, return pie to the oven and bake until golden brown; about 10 minutes. Invert pie onto platter. Let stand 5 minutes. Sift powdered sugar generously over top and then decorate with
crisscrossing lines of ground cinnamon.
