Moroccan spiced pie

Moroccan spiced pie -

The perfect showpiece to your Christmas Day meal - and it's suitable for veggies.

Ingredients:

2 tsp each coriander and cumin seeds
1 tsp paprika, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp ground cinnamon
150 ml/¼ pint olive oil
900 gm squash, peeled and cut into small chunks (about 2cm)
12 shallots, quartered
4 cm/1½ in piece root ginger, finely chopped
140 gm whole blanched almonds
140 gm shelled pistachios
75 gm pack dried cranberries
6 tbsp clear honey
225 gm pack fresh spinach
400 gm can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
3 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
100 gm butter
8 large sheets of filo pastry
lemon wedges to serve
For the harissa yogurt sauce
200 gm carton Greek yogurt
6 tbsp milk
3 large sprigs mint, leaves chopped
2-3 tbsp harissa paste

Method:

Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Dry fry the seeds briefly in a small pan over a medium heat until toasty – don’t let them burn. Grind coarsely using a pestle and mortar (or a bowl and the end of a rolling pin), then mix in the paprika, cinnamon, 1⁄2 tsp salt and 4 tbsp oil. Tip the squash into a roasting tin, pour over the spiced oil and toss. Roast for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan, add the shallots and cook, stirring, until they start to brown. Stir in the ginger and 100g/4oz each almonds and pistachios.When brown, toss in the cranberries, 2 tbsp honey, and the spinach so it wilts. Take off the heat and stir into the squash, when it comes out of the oven. Set aside.
In a food processor, whizz the chickpeas with the garlic, cumin, remaining oil, lemon juice, 2 tbsp water and salt and pepper to make houmous. Stir in the coriander.
Melt the butter in a small pan. Put a loose-bottomed 28 cm quiche tin on a baking sheet and brush with some butter. Keeping the filo covered with a damp cloth so it doesn't dry out, lay one sheet over half of the tin so that it hangs over the edge by about 10 cm. Lay another sheet on the other side, so it overlaps the first in the center and hangs over the opposite edge. Brush with butter. Lay two more filo sheets in the opposite direction in the same way and brush with more butter.
Build up two more layers in this way, so you use a total of eight sheets of filo. Pile half the squash mixture in the center of the pastry. Spread over the houmous and then the rest of the squash mixture.One at a time, bring the edge of each filo sheet up to the center to cover the filling, creating voluptuous folds as you go. Brush carefully with more butter. (If making a day ahead, cover now with cling film and chill. To reheat, remove the pie from the fridge, heat the oven, then bake for 35-40 minutes.)
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until crisp and golden. Just before the pie is ready, reheat any remaining butter in the pan, tip in the rest of the nuts and fry until golden. Spoon in the 4 remaining tbsps of honey and, when it melts, take off the heat and pour over the pie. Serve with Harissa yogurt sauce (mix the yogurt and milk together to make a thin sauce, stir in the herbs and season. Swirl in harissa to taste) and lemon wedges.

Moroccan Pigeon Pie (B'stilla)

Moroccan Pigeon Pie (B'stilla) -

This sumptuous Moroccan starter—a spiced poultry pie enriched with scrambled eggs and decorated with ground almonds, sugar, and cinnamon—is typically served at weddings and other festive occasions. Traditionally the pastry known as warqa and bone-in pigeon are used to make b’stilla, but phyllo and chicken thighs, quail, or Cornish game hen make excellent substitutes.

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup blanched almonds
3 lb. pigeon (5-6) or bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
3 cups chicken stock
3 eggs
3 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, minced
1 tbsp. ras el hanout
½ tsp. crushed red chile flakes
¼ tsp. saffron threads, mixed with 1 tsp. water
3 tbsp. minced cilantro
3 tbsp. minced parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus more
8 sheets phyllo dough
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

METHOD:

Toast almonds in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high, 4–5 minutes; let cool. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely ground; set aside. Add pigeons and stock to pan; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until pigeons are cooked through, 40–45 minutes. Using tongs, transfer pigeons to a cutting board; let cool, then shred meat, discarding skin and bones. Simmer cooking liquid over medium heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 30 minutes. Let cool and whisk in eggs; set sauce aside.
Wipe pan clean and add oil; heat over medium-high. Cook garlic and onion until golden, 8–10 minutes. Add ras el hanout, chile flakes, and saffron mixture; cook 1–2 minutes and remove from heat. Stir in reserved almonds, shredded meat, and sauce, the cilantro, parsley, salt, and pepper; set filling aside.
Heat oven to 400°. Grease a 9" springform pan with butter. Lay 1 sheet phyllo on a work surface and brush with melted butter. Fit into pan, allowing corners to hang over the edges. Repeat with another sheet phyllo. Spread ⅓ filling over dough. Repeat process of layering twice more. Fold corners of phyllo over filling. Top with remaining 2 sheets buttered phyllo; tuck corners around sides of pan, encasing the filling. Bake until golden and filling is set, 30–35 minutes. Let cool slightly, then unmold; dust with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon.

Confit duck pastilla

Confit duck pastilla -

Use soft and tender, slow-cooked meat inside this crispy brik or filo pastry pie, with Moroccan-style cinnamon, almonds and icing sugar.

Ingredients:

A little fat from the confit duck (see below)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick
handful parsley, coriander and thyme all tied together
handful parsley, chopped
handful coriander, chopped
4 legs confit duck, wiped of excess fat (either buy it ready confited or see 'Goes well with', below)
3 eggs, plus 2 yolks
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
50g ground almonds
50g butter, melted
200g filo pastry or brik pastry

Method:

Heat a large cast-iron pan and add the fat. Cook the onion gently for 5 mins until soft. Add the cinnamon stick, the tied herbs and the duck, and give the pan a good shake.
Add enough water to the pan to just cover the duck. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 20 mins. Remove the duck to a plate and discard the herbs and cinnamon stick. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce by half. Beat the eggs and the yolks along with half the icing sugar and half the ground cinnamon. Remove the pan from the heat, pour in the egg mixture and stir like mad to stop it catching. Simmer on the lowest possible heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens to a custard-like sauce. Be careful not to overcook or the mix may curdle. Stir through the almonds and leave to cool.
Shred the duck meat, discarding the skin and bones. Mix with the sauce, add the chopped parsley and coriander, and season well.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin with melted butter and layer in the pastry, lightly brushing with melted butter between each layer – leaving enough overhanging so it can be folded to seal the filling. Add the duck filling, then fold over and brush the top with more butter. Bake for 30 mins until golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little before turning out. Sprinkle with the remaining icing sugar and cinnamon before serving.