Best Bsteeya Recipes

BISTEEYA

Steps:

• Place chicken in a large bowl along with garlic, salt, pepper, ginger, saffron, turmeric, and cinnamon sticks; set aside.
• Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and saute onion. Add chicken mixture and enough water to cover chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 1/4 hours.
• Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saute pan. Add almonds and cook, stirring until browned. Remove from heat and let cool. Add confectioners' sugar and ground cinnamon; stir to combine. Set aside.
• Remove chicken and all bones from stock. Add lemon juice. Beat eggs and whisk into stock. Cook until thick and dry. Fold in parsley and cilantro; set aside.
• Remove and discard bones and skin from chicken, reserving meat. Shred with your fingers into small pieces (not larger than 1 inch, and preferably in shreds rather than chunks). Transfer to a medium bowl; stir in preserved lemons and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Brush a 10-by-2-inch round cake pan with clarified butter. Working with 1 sheet of phyllo at a time, place in cake pan, leaving edges to overhang pan. Brush with clarified butter before adding the next sheet in an overlapping circular pattern. Repeat process using 6 to 8 sheets of phyllo and clarified butter to cover bottom of pan.
• Top evenly with half of shredded chicken mixture. Cover chicken with half of almond mixture. Top this with half of egg mixture, then repeat layering process with remaining ingredients. Then take overhanging phyllo and fold toward center of pan.
• With another 6 to 8 sheets of phyllo and clarified butter, repeat overlapping circular pattern. Using scissors, trim a little excess phyllo. Tuck overhanging edges under the pie. Brush phyllo with clarified butter. Chill at least 30 minutes.
• Using a sharp knife, score phyllo in a diamond pattern. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. If pie is not golden brown, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and dust with confectioners' sugar and, using your fingers, sprinkle with ground cinnamon in a decorative pattern. Slice and serve.

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.

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.

BASTEEYA (MOROCCAN CHICKEN PIE)

Steps:

• Brush a large 10-inch pie plate with some melted butter (or margarine, if you need to keep this kosher) and set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil; saute the onions until soft (about 5 minutes), then add the garlic, chile, cinnamon stick, curry powder, fresh ginger, lemon zest and chicken chunks and saute for two minutes.
• Stir in the prunes, olives, chicken stock, lemon juice, and the salt and pepper; bring this to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, without stirring at all, for 10 minutes; then remove the lid and simmer for 5 more minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated; let this cool completely (I'm going to guess you discard the whole cinnamon stick, since it's not mentioned in the original recipe).
• Meanwhile, in a food processor (the mini one will work well), pulse the icing sugar, ground cinnamon and almonds until coarsely chopped.
• Preheat oven to 375F.
• When the chicken mixture has cooled completely, it's time to begin the assembly: on your work surface, arrange a sheet of phyllo (keep the remaining phyllo sheets under a damp tea towel) and brush it with some of the melted butter or olive oil.
• Lay this sheet of phyllo in the middle of the pie plate, letting the excess phyllo hang over the edge; repeat with 4 more sheets of phyllo.
• Stir the lightly beaten egg and chopped coriander into the chicken mixture, combine, then spoon the entire mixture into the pie plate, on top of the sheets of phyllo in it.
• Fold the phyllo edges that are hanging over the edge of the pie plate, one at a time, onto the middle of the pie, sprinkling some of the almond mixture between each layer; do this loosely and not tightly.
• Butter one piece of the remaining phyllo and sprinkle with some of the almond mixture; place over filling and tuck in any overhang; repeat with remaining phyllo and almond mixture--Christine Cushing says to do this one by one, not stacked together, to achieve a light, blossomy top.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the top is browned and crisp; let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.

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.

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.

ROYAL CAKE BISTEEYA

Steps:

• Pour the stock into a small saucepan and reduce over medium heat until it reaches a saucelike consistency. Season to taste. Keep warm.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees; line a baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. Combine the sugar, cardamom, cinnamon and salt.
• Brush one of the half sheets of phyllo with the butter. Sprinkle liberally with the sugar mixture. Repeat this process with the remaining phyllo. On the last piece of phyllo, spread only with butter. Cover the phyllo with a piece of parchment paper and gently roll with a rolling pin to press out any air bubbles.
• Cut the phyllo into rectangles measuring 2 inches by 3½ inches. Cover rectangles with another Silpat mat or piece of parchment paper. Top with another baking sheet. Bake the rectangles for 12 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake another 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees; line a baking sheet with parchment paper and butter the top. Sift the powdered sugar, cardamom and cinnamon into a medium mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon water and mix well. Add 2 more tablespoons water and the egg white and whisk to combine well. Fold in the ground almonds.
• Spread in a rectangle, 8 inches by 3½ inches, on the parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes, turning the pan halfway through. Let cool before removing from the pan. Cut into 4 rectangles measuring 2 inches by 3½ inches.
• A day in advance, season the chicken breasts with salt and dust with the ras el hanout. Place on a baking rack set over a sheet pan and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down. Sear until golden and flip. Transfer to the oven and roast until the breasts are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes.
• Carve the breasts off the bone and season the inside of the carved side. Thinly slice the breasts crosswise so that the pieces can fit neatly on the almond cake.
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the kale and season with salt. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. When done, transfer to a bowl and let drain. Adjust the seasoning and add the lemon and maras pepper.

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.

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.