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Chicken Basteeya

Adapted from Pomegranates and Pine Nuts by Bethany Kehdy
I used poulet fernier, or farm chicken, whose parts are smaller than their commercial counterparts. Depending on the chicken you have, you’ll need 2 or 3 thighs; you can weigh them for more precise results, if that floats your boat. Bethany’s recipe calls for either ground saffron or turmeric. I used turmeric but if you have saffron on hand, you can certainly use that. This isn’t a complicated dish at all, but does have a few steps that might seem unfamiliar the first time you do it. You can make the filling up through step 5, then refrigerate it overnight.
  • 1 1/4 pounds (600g) chicken thighs, (leg and thigh attached), 2 to 3 thighs depending on size
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or clarified butter
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 inch (5cm) fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 cups (500ml) water
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup (120g) scant blanched almonds, (see Note)
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon orange flower water
  • Zest of 1 lemon, and the juice of 1/2 of the lemon
  • 1/4 cup (15g) chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup (15g) chopped cilantro
  • 7 sheets of filo dough, thawed, if frozen
  • 5 tablespoons (70g) melted unsalted butter
  • Additional powdered sugar and cinnamon, for dusting the finished basteeya
  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat the oil or melt the clarified butter in a heavy skillet or sauté pan that has a lid. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent – about 5 minutes.
  • Scrape the onions onto a plate and add the chicken to the pan, skin side down. Cook the chicken until browned on one side, then turn the thighs over, and brown them on the other side. It should take 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Add the onions back to the pan along with the garlic, ginger and turmeric, and cook, stirring, for about a minute to release the fragrance. Add the water, cover, and let the chicken simmer for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.
  • Remove the chicken from the stock and let cool. Reduce the pan liquid by half over medium heat. Stir the eggs together in a bowl then pour the eggs into the warm liquid in a steady stream, stirring as they hit the liquid. Keep stirring until the mixture resembles softly scrambled eggs, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and scrape the egg mixture into a bowl. Remove the skin and the meat from the chicken (discard the skin), and shred the chicken into the egg mixture.
  • Grind the almonds in a food processor until they are a coarse consistency, almost to the point where they are about to become a paste. Add the powdered sugar and cinnamon, pulse a couple of times, then add the ground almonds to the chicken mixture along with the orange flower water, lemon zest, and chopped parsley and cilantro. Taste the mixture, and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. (At this point, you can refrigerate the mixture overnight.)
  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC.) Butter a 12-inch (30cm) baking dish.
  • Unwrap the filo and drape a damp kitchen towel over it to prevent it from drying out as you work. Working quickly, lay one sheet of filo dough over the bottom of the baking dish, coaxing it to line the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Brush the filo with melted butter. Add three more sheets of filo dough, brushing each one with a layer of butter, except for the final one.
  • Spread the filling in the baking dish, then fold the ends of the filo dough over the filling. Brush the exposed pieces of filo dough with melted butter. Top the filling with three sheets of filo dough, brushing the top of each sheet of dough after you place it over the filling.
  • Tuck the edges of the top sheets of filo as best you can under basteeya, trimming the edges if it makes it easier. (You can also just fold them over the top, and press them down.) Brush the top liberally with butter and bake the basteeya for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is well-browned.
  • Remove from the oven and dust liberally with additional powdered sugar mixed with a generous pinch of cinnamon. Serve with a green salad or tabbouleh.

Notes

Note: You can buy almonds already blanched, although I usually keep only regular almonds on hand, so I use those. To skin whole almonds, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the almonds and let cook at a low boil for 1 minutes. Drain the almonds, rinse with cold water, then squeeze the almonds to remove the skins. Toast the nuts on a baking sheet in a 350ºF (180ºC) oven for 8 to 10 minutes, to dry and refresh them.