Savory meat or chicken pies have a long tradition in Moroccan and Middle Eastern cooking. They are often seasoned with chopped parsley, lots of long-simmered onions, cumin and garlic. Phyllo (aka filo) dough is used to enclose fillings in long “cigars” as appetizers, or in triangles as neatly folded fried pockets.
For this recipe, I’m simplifying the process by avoiding frying. My good friend and cooking partner, Melissa Roberts, helped me to overcome my fear of phyllo and the quantity of margarine needed to brush each delicate sheet. Her trick is to use a combination of margarine and olive oil, keep the sheets covered in the plastic wrap they are packaged in, and don’t fret if they tear. By crumpling a few sheets on the top of the pie before baking, nobody will know if they aren’t perfect rectangles. The crumbling adds pretty texture to this fragrant, savory pie, too.
You’ll find ras el hanout spice blend in this recipe. It is a Moroccan blend that generally includes coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. It is available in most grocery stores, or you can find a recipe here.
If you want to wow your gang with a Moroccan-inspired chicken pie loaded with spinach and flavors from the Middle East, you’ll find the recipe below. Nobody will guess how easy it was to whip up, and it will fill your home with a whole new array of scents beyond brisket and kugel.
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Moroccan Chicken and Spinach Filo Pie
The best way to use up leftover chicken.
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts
- 5 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- ½ tsp salt, or more to taste
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp ras el hanout
- 2 cups cooked chicken, light and dark meat combined, chopped
- 3 Tbsp silan (aka date honey)
- 3 tsp lemon juice
- 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, cooked for 5 minutes, thawed and very well drained
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 Tbsp unsalted margarine, melted
- 12 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
- ⅛ tsp cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a dry, large, nonstick pan, lightly toast pine nuts until golden and set aside.
- Heat 2 Tbsp oil in same pan. Add chopped onions, salt and pepper, and cook until onions are golden, about 10 minutes.
- Add chopped garlic and ras el hanout. Cook 3-4 minutes, but don’t brown the garlic.
- Add chicken to pan and stir. Add silan and lemon juice, stir and taste. It should be pleasantly sweet with a tart tinge. Adjust to taste.
- Remove pan from heat and cool the mixture 10-15 minutes on the counter.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken mixture and spinach. Add eggs and pine nuts and combine.
- In a small bowl, mix remaining 3 Tbsp of olive oil with melted margarine.
- Prepare the pie plate by brushing bottom and sides with olive oil/margarine mixture.
- Line pie plate with 8 sheets of filo dough, first brushing each sheet with oil/margarine mixture. Stack them in the pan in an overlapping circle and allow edges to hang over the pan.
- Spoon chicken/spinach mixture onto layered filo dough and fold edges of filo over the filling. (It will not cover the filling.)
- Brush remaining 4 sheets of dough with oil/margarine mix and crumple each one. Place onto exposed area of filling. Dab crumbled dough and edges with any remaining oil/margarine. Sprinkle with powdered cinnamon.
- Bake 20-25 minutes or until top is golden.
- Allow pie to cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes + 20 minutes cooling time
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Moroccan
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