Moroccan chicken pie

1 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
3 Rock cornish hens
4 Cloveds garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Salt
1 teaspoon Finely minced ginger root
1 teaspoon Fresh coriander or cilantro
½ teaspoon Ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon Tumeric
1 pinch Saffron
1 cup Hot water
3 Cinnamon sticks, broken
¼ cup Butter cut into pieces
1 large Onion, chopped
1 cup Minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons Butter
1½ cup Slivered blanched almonds
¼ cup Powdered sugar
2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons Lemon juice
6 Eggs, beaten until frothy
4 Plain phyllo sheets
8 Buttered phyllo sheets
Additional powdered sugar and cinnamon for topping

Directions

This one is from the Dinah Shore Cookbook, and is VERY cinnamony. Although I haven't tried this particular recipe, her book is very reliable, and she talks about the testing all the time. I've had it in restaurants...it is quite decadent and delicious. It is on the sweet side, and rich. I don't remember the actual Moroccan name for it though. She calls it Moroccan Chicken Pie. She also calls for cornish hens...Chicken would do just as well I think, even leftover chicken, seasoned with some of the seasonings she calls for cooking the hens with, and just simmered in some water with the seasonings for a few minutes to make the broth.

Wash hens well and pat try inside and out. Rub well inside and out with garlic and salt. Place hens in heavy pan to fit snugly. Combine ginger, coriander, pepper, tumeric, saffron and hot water and pour over hens. Add enough water to cover hens. Sprinkle cinnamon pieces on top along with butter, onions and parsley. Simmer over low heat 1 hour or until tender.

Cool in stock. Remove hens, reserving stock and shred meat.

In skillet, brown meat and almonds in 3 tbs butter. REmove meat and almonds withn a slotted spoon and cool. Combine with powdered sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

Strain stock and cook over medium high heat until reduced to 1½ cups.

Lower heat and add lemon juice. This much of recipe may be done ahead.

Gently warm 1 ½ cups stock; bring to a simmer and gradually beat in eggs.

Cook, stirring constantly, 10 minutes or until eggs are cooked to cusard consistency. Do not allow to scramble.

Preheat oven to 400. "Fluff" 4 plain phyllo sheets on cookie sheet, as if they were clouds. Bake at 400 for 1 minutes or until they are very lightly browned. Set aside.

Assembly:

Keep phyllo dough wrapped in damp -- not wet-- tea towel until ready to use. Arrange bbuttered phylo sheets in 12 inch iron skillet, letting edges hang over sides. Sprinkle with meat and almond mixture. Cover with half of egg mixture. Top with 2 "fluffy" phylo sheets. Cover with rest of meat mixture. Top with other 2 "fluffy" phyllo sheets and then with remaining egg mixture. Fold edges of buttered phyllo sheets over pie and brush with additional melted butter. Arrange 2 remaining buttered phyllo sheets on top, tucking edges under pie to enclose it completely. Brush with more melted butter and bake at 425 for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Shake pan lightly to loosen edges of pie and invert on a cookie sheet or ovenproof platter. Bake 10 minutes more or until golden brown. Sprinkle lavishly with additional powdered sugar and ground cinnamon. Serve immediately. Posted to TNT - Prodigy's Recipe Exchange Newsletter by NAFY67C@... (DEBORAH EPSTEIN) on Mar 22, 1997

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