Moroccan · Main course

Pastilla (Bastilla) — Sweet-Savoury Pigeon or Chicken Pie

Pastilla is Morocco's showpiece: layers of shatteringly thin warqa pastry wrapped around spiced shredded poultry, a saffron-onion sauce set with egg, and crushed toasted almonds, then dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon. The sweet-savoury contrast is unlike anything else — a festival dish reserved for weddings and honoured guests.

Prep: 60 min
Cook: 60 min
Total: 120 min
Serves: 8
Level: Advanced

Pastilla (Bastilla) — Sweet-Savoury Pigeon or Chicken Pie

Ingredients

1 chicken (about 1.4 kg), jointed (traditionally squab pigeon)
3 large onions, finely sliced
1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, generous pinch saffron, black pepper
1 small bunch coriander and parsley, chopped
6 eggs, beaten
200 g whole almonds, blanched, fried and coarsely crushed
2 tbsp sugar plus 1 tsp cinnamon (for the almonds)
10–12 sheets warqa pastry (or filo/spring-roll wrappers)
100 g butter, melted, for brushing
Icing sugar and ground cinnamon, to finish

Method

1

Braise the poultry

Simmer the chicken with onions, spices, saffron, herbs and a little water until falling off the bone, about 45 minutes. Lift out the meat and let the onion sauce keep cooking down.
2

Set the eggs

Reduce the onion sauce until almost dry, then pour in the beaten eggs and stir over low heat until they set into soft, moist curds. This is the layer that binds the pie.
3

Shred and sweeten almonds

Bone and shred the chicken. Mix the crushed fried almonds with the sugar and cinnamon.
4

Layer the pie

Brush a round pan with butter. Fan out overlapping warqa sheets, brushing each. Layer the almonds, then the shredded meat, then the egg curds, folding the overhanging pastry over the top and sealing with a few more buttered sheets.
5

Bake

Bake at 190°C for about 30–35 minutes, until deep golden and crisp on top and bottom (traditionally it is also crisped in a pan).
6

Dust and serve

Invert onto a plate, dust generously with icing sugar and pipe cinnamon lines in a lattice. Serve hot, cut into wedges.

Chef's tips

Reduce the onion-egg mixture until it is barely wet — excess moisture makes the pastry soggy and the pie collapse.
Fry the almonds until just golden before crushing; raw almonds taste flat against the sweet dusting.
If using filo, work fast and keep unused sheets under a damp cloth so they don't crack.

Frequently asked questions

Is pastilla made with pigeon or chicken?

Traditionally squab pigeon, which is rich and gamey. Chicken is the common modern substitute and far easier to source; seafood pastilla is also popular in coastal cities.

What is warqa pastry?

Warqa (ouarka) is a gossamer-thin Moroccan pastry made by dabbing wet dough onto a hot dome. Filo or spring-roll wrappers are the usual home substitute.

Can pastilla be made ahead?

Yes. Assemble it, refrigerate, and bake just before serving so the pastry stays crisp. The cooked filling can be made a day ahead.