Turkey Bstilla Recipes

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.

INDIVIDUAL B'STILLAS (MOROCCAN CHICKEN AND ALMOND PIES)

Steps:

• To make the almond sugar:
• In a food processor grind fine almonds, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Almond sugar may be made 1 day ahead and kept covered in a cool dark place.
• To make the filling:
• In a small bowl combine saffron with hot water and let stand 10 minutes.
• In a heavy 4-quart kettle sauté onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate and add ginger, ras el hanout, and pepper. Cook mixture, stirring, 3 minutes.
• Add chicken parts, broth, and saffron mixture and simmer, covered, turning the chicken once, until chicken is very tender and cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes. Let chicken stand in cooking liquid off heat 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, reserving cooking liquid and solids, and, when cool enough to handle, shred chicken, discarding skin and bones.
• Measure reserved cooking liquid and solids and if necessary boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 3/4 cups. Reduce heat to moderate and add eggs in a stream, whisking. Cook mixture, stirring, until eggs are set, about 3 minutes. Remove kettle from heat and pour egg mixture into a coarse sieve set over a bowl. Let mixture drain undisturbed 10 minutes before discarding liquid. Transfer egg mixture to a bowl. Stir in chicken, parsley, coriander, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste and chill. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and kept chilled, covered.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. and butter 2 large shallow baking pans.
• In a small saucepan melt remaining 9 tablespoons butter and keep warm but not hot.
• Cut phyllo sheets in half lengthwise and stack between 2 sheets wax paper. Cover wax paper sheets with a kitchen towel. On a work surface arrange a half sheet of phyllo with short side facing you and brush with melted butter. On this, layer and brush 3 more half sheets of phyllo in the same manner.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon almond sugar on short side of phyllo nearest you to cover about 2 1/2-by 4-inch area, leaving a 1-inch border on 3 edges. Put 1/3 cup chicken mixture over almond sugar and spread out slightly. Top chicken mixture with 1 more tablespoon almond sugar and roll up filling in phyllo, folding in sides after first roll. Transfer b'stilla immediately.
• Form 8 more b'stillas in the same manner with remaining phyllo, butter, almond sugar, and chicken mixture, chilling each b'stilla as it is made. B'stillas may be prepared up to this point 4 hours ahead and kept chilled, covered lightly with plastic wrap once cold.
• Bake chilled b'stillas in oven until tops and ends are puffed and browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool b'stillas slightly on a rack. Sprinkle b'stillas with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon and serve warm.
• To make the ras el hanout:
• In a spice grinder or cleaned coffee grinder grind fine aniseed, fennel seeds, allspice berries, cardamom seeds, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cuminseed, and red pepper flakes, In a small bowl stir together ground spice mixture, mace, ginger, and nutmeg until combine well. Ras el hanout may be stored in a tightly closed jar in a cool dark place up to 6 months. Makes about 1/4 cup.

TURKEY B'STILLA

Steps:

• Make almond sugar:
• In a food processor finely grind together almonds, sugar, and cinnamon.
• Make filling:
• Mince garlic. Chop cilantro and mint. Chop enough onion to measure 1 1/2 cups.
• In a large saucepan bring broth to a boil and remove pan from heat. Stir in saffron and steep 10 minutes. Add turkey and simmer mixture, stirring and breaking up lumps, 2 minutes, or until meat is just cooked through. In a large sieve set over a bowl drain turkey mixture and return drained cooking liquid to pan. Transfer turkey mixture to a large bowl. Boil cooking liquid until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Transfer 1/4 cup liquid to a small bowl and reserve. Reduce heat to moderate and add whites in a stream to liquid remaining in pan, whisking. Cook mixture, whisking, until whites are opaque, about 2 minutes. Add egg mixture to turkey mixture and stir until combined. In a non-stick skillet heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook onion, stirring, until golden. Add ras el hanout, flour, gingerroot, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add reserved cooking liquid and boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Add mixture to turkey with raisins, lemon juice, cilantro, and mint, stirring until combined well. Cool filling completely. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Stack phyllo sheets on a work surface and cover stack with overlapping sheets of plastic wrap and then a dampened kitchen towel. Working quickly (phyllo dries out easily), arrange 1 phyllo sheet in a 9-inch glass pie plate, letting edges hang over. Sprinkle bottom with 2 teaspoons almond sugar and 1 tablespoon bread crumbs. Repeat layering 2 more times, arranging each phyllo sheet in a different position to create an even overhang all around. Top with remaining phyllo sheet and spoon filling evenly into shell. Sprinkle filling with 2 teaspoons almond sugar and carefully fold overhanging phyllo over top of filling to enclose it completely (phyllo will be very brittle; don't worry if it breaks). Sprinkle remaining almond sugar over top. Bake pie in lower third of oven 25 minutes (top will be golden brown in places).
• Dust pie with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon and serve immediately.