Chicken, pistachio & apricot filo pie
This spiced, Moroccan-style pie makes a great addition to a buffet.
SERVES 6 PREP 30min, plus cooling COOK about 1¾hr
• Pinch saffron
• 500ml hot chicken stock
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 750g chicken thighs
• 2 red onions, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 2tbsp ras el hanout spice blend
• ½tsp ground cinnamon
• ½tsp ground cumin
• 100g dried apricots, roughly chopped
• 3 medium eggs, beaten
• 100g pistachio kernels, roughly chopped
• 1tsp finely grated orange zest
• Small handful parsley, roughly chopped
• 75g butter, melted
• 6 filo pastry sheets 1 Add saffron to hot chicken stock and infuse while you brown the chicken. Heat oil in a frying pan (with a lid) over high heat. Fry chicken (uncovered) in batches until browned. Set aside. Lower heat to medium and cook onions with a pinch of salt in pan until softened; about 10min. 2 Add garlic, ginger and spices and cook for 2min. Pour in infused stock and return chicken to pan with apricots and seasoning. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 20min, or until chicken is cooked through. Lift out chicken with a slotted spoon; set aside. Return pan to heat and boil to reduce sauce by half. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken.
3 Add eggs to pan sauce and cook over low heat, stirring, until they resemble lightly scrambled eggs; about 4-5min. Return shredded chicken to pan and stir through nuts, orange zest and parsley. Set aside to cool.
4 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Lightly brush a 20cm round cake tin (springform or loose-bottomed) with melted butter. Brush top of a filo sheet with butter and press into tin. Repeat with a further 3 sheets, rotating so base and sides of the tin are covered – leave excess hanging over top of tin.
5 Spoon in chicken filling and smooth to level. Cut remaining 2 filo sheets into rough circles just larger than 20cm – use cake tin base as a guide. Brush top of each with butter, then layer up. Put on top of filling (butter-side up), then scrunch in overhanging filo and brush with remaining butter. Put tin on a baking tray to catch any leaking butter.
6 Cook for about 45min until golden, covering top with foil if it’s over browning. Stand for 10min in tin before removing and serving.
PER SERVING: CALS 604; FAT 39G; SAT FAT 12G; CARBS 27G