chicken pie recipe

Moroccan Chicken Pie recipe  

Preparation time    : 30 minutes 
Total cooking time : 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves : 6-8 

Ingredients:

To prepare a perfect chicken pie we need :

200 g (6½ oz) butter 1.5 kg (3 lb) 
chicken, cut into 4 portions 
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¼  teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground  turmeric
½ teaspoon saffron threads soaked in   
    2 tablespoons warm water
½ cup (125 ml/4 fl oz) chicken stock
4 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup (25 g/ ¾ oz) chopped  fresh
    coriander
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf
   parsley. 
½ cup (50 g/ ¾ oz) chopped almonds
3 tablespoons icing sugar, plus extra, for   
   dusting
375 g (12 oz) filo pastry.

Preparation :

1- Preheat the oven to moderate 108°C
(350°F/Gas 4). Grease a 30 cm (12 inch)
pizza tray.

2- Melt 40 g (1¼ oz) of the butter in a large
frying pan, add the chicken, onion,
2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, all the other 
spices and the chicken stock. Season with
salt and pepper, cover and simmer for
30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked
through.

3- Remove the chicken from the sauce.
When cool enough to handle, remove the
meal from the bones,discard the skin
and bones and shared the meal into thin
strips.

4- Bring the liquid in the pan to a simmer
and add the eggs. Cook the mixture,
stirring constantly, until the eggs are
cooked and the mixture is quite dry. Add
the chicken, chopped coriander and
parsley, season well with salt and pepper
and mix.Remove from the heat.

5- Bake the almonds on a baking tray until
golden brown. Cool slightly, then blend in
food processor or spice grinder with the
icing sugar and remaining cinnamon until
they resemble coarse crumbs.

6- Melt the remaining butter. Place a
sheet of filo on the pizza tray and brush
with melted butter. Place another sheet
on top in a pinwheel effect and brush with
butter. Continue brushing and layering
until you have used 8 sheets. Place the
chicken mixture on top and sprinkle with
the almond mixture.

7- Fold the overlapping filo over the top of
the filling. Place a sheet of filo over the
top and brush with butter continue to
layer buttered filo over the top in the
same pinwheel effect until you have used

8- Sheets. Tuck the overhanging edges
over the pie to form a neat round parcel.
Brush well with the remaining butter.
Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes until 
cooked through and golden.Dust with
icing sugar before serving.