Algerian Pastilla, Pastilla au Poulet Algerienne

Traditionally pastillas are huge labor intensive concoctions. Scaling down the size of pastilla doesn't take a single bit away from it's flavor, but reduces preparation time and effort considerably.

If pastilla sounds like bastila to you, that is because that's exactly what it is. As usual, Algerians have a variety of pastilla preparations.

If the name sounds Spanish too, well that's because it is a Spanish name. There is an antecedent to this dish in the anonymous thirteenth century Hispano-Muslim Cookbook which describes chicken wrapped in many paper thin sheets of dough. I do have a copy of the anonymous cookbook, but I did not make the connection until I read about it in Clifford Wright's A Mediterranean  Feast.

My method for making pastilla is very easy. I know there exists a certain type of food lover and cook who wants to believe that protracted cooking methods result in better dishes. This is simply not always the case. There is absolutely no loss of flavor with my method. But if you want to try a side by side taste comparison with a more involved method wipe yourself out.

In the old days it was labor and time consuming mostly because of the warka leaves and the sheer size. You needed a dada to come to your home to make it or purchase them through a warka maker, so this dish wasn't always accessible to poorer people. It was a dish for the wealthy or for feasts.

You'll need two frying pans, a 10" one and a slightly larger one.

Ingredients:

6 Warka leaves
6 feuilles de dioul (brick)

2 whole chicken legs (drumsticks and thighs)
2 cuisses de poulet

1 onion chopped
1 oignon hache

2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 gousses d'ail emincees

A few sprigs of coriander leaf
coriandre frais

A pinch of saffron
1 pincee de safran

1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 cuillere a cafe de curcuma

Salt
Sel

Juice of 1/2 lemon
Jus de citron

5-6 large eggs
5-6 oeufs

1 cup of chopped almonds
200 gr d'amandes hachees

1 tablespoon of rose water
1 cuillere a soup d'eau de rose

2 tablespoons of sugar
2 cuilleres a soupe de sucre

1 stick of butter, clarified
115 gr beurre clarifie

Method:

1) Cook the chicken in a pot with the onion, garlic, saffron, turmeric, coriander leaf, about 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 cup of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour.

2) Remove the chicken, let cool enough to handle. Bone and mince the meat. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary.

3) Reduce the liquid the chicken cooked in to about 1 cup. Add lemon juice and gently beaten eggs. Stir constantly until the eggs are cooked. Place the eggs in a sieve to drain excess liquid and fat. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary.

4) Add the sugar and rose water to the chopped almonds, mix well.

 

 

5) Add two tablespoons of butter to the a 10" frying pan. Place 2 sheets of warka in the center. Place four more warka sheets as shown. Actually two are shown, complete by adding two more on the other side.

6) The first layer of filling is the almonds, spread 1/3 of the mixture into the pan. Add 1 layer of 1/3 of the eggs, then a layer of 1/3 of the chicken. Repeat.

7)  Butter the warka sheets with the remaining butter and fold over the warka as shown. It may seem like alot of butter but this dish serves 6-8 people depending on the number of courses.

8) Fry on  low heat until golden brown. You can check by inverting the pastilla onto your hand. That's how I transfered it to a slightly larger pan to brown the other side.

The inevitable question will be can I bake it? Well, yes, but why? You won't save on the butter which you can reduce to suit your dietary needs. This method can be used with spring roll wrappers and phyllo leaves as well.

Algeria Algerian Cuisine Algerian Recipes Algerian Food Algerian dishes Cuisine Algerienne Recettes  Algerienne North African cuisine Maghreb Cuisine

Comments

[Holly]

What types of side dishes do you recommend with pastilla?

[Laurent]

I agree with everything said here. I was so afraid to try to make Pastilla because the other recipes make it seem so hard and complicated. But the chef has explained it so simply and the photos gonna help alot!

[Farid Zadi]

Salut Becky,

Thank you for the compliments! Please enjoy and feel free to ask me any questions.

[Becky]

Hi there,
I just love your site/blog. I am Irish-American and my boyfriend is Algerian.
We are in France and so I am very pleased to find your site. I am trying to learn
to cook Algerian to keep my sweetie happy :-) Thanks for the lovely, easy to follow
recipes.

And yes, you have gorgeous children and a lovely mother in law :-)
Any good Mongolian recipes to share?

Best,
Rebecca Lyne

[Jamilla]

you know how to cook!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:-)))))))))))))

[khaled]

My mother makes a fish pastilla, with lots of herbs.

[khaled]

I like your recipes because you present dishes that other Algerian cookbook writers don't know about. I think maybe because you are a professional, you lived on a farm with lots of ingredients, you know more about Algerian cooking than the others do. I like your photos too, very easy to follow recipes. We are all proud of you mon frere.

[Hussein]

algerian pastillas so good. i like a spicy version my mom makes. it has olives and citron confit in it with pignons.

[Amina]

i can't believe a man can cook good like you. how come you know so much about algerian cooking. i am impressed, very impressed. you are doing an honor for us. you are showing the world our beautiful dishes.

France already knows and other parts of europe. but in the UK and the States they don't know. they think they are eating moroccan when they are being served Algerian and Tunisian style.

[Amina]

i always like Algerian pastilla much more. I don't like sweet things on my pastilla. i don't like cannelle either. i like the way you make it, easy methodes.