Chicken Pastry Pie

Ingredients

• 1 chicken (about 1.2 kg)
• 1 onion
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 1 tsp saffron powder
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• Pepper (ground freshly)
• Salt
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 4 eggs
• 4 tbsp Lemon juice
• 150 g ground almond kernels
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp orange blossom water
• olive oil
• 400 g filo dough
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 egg yolk
• powdered sugar (for dusting)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Rinse the chicken, pat dry and cut into 8 pieces. Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic. In a bowl combine saffron, ginger, pepper, salt, herbs and oil, then mix with the chicken pieces. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the marinate and brown all sides in a pot. Deglaze with about 500 ml water, add the marinade, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes. Take the chicken out of the broth, let cool, skin off and debone. Cut the poultry into small pieces and reduce the broth to about 250 ml.

2. 2.

   Stir the eggs with lemon juice into the broth.

3. 3.

   Mix almonds with powdered sugar and orange blossom water.

4. 4.

   Preheat oven to 180°C fan. Grease a springform pan with oil.

5. 5.

   Line the pan with 2-3 sheets of filo, brushing each with oil. Spread half the almond mixture on top, then cover with two more layers of filo (always oiled). Fill the pan with chicken meat, sprinkle cinnamon and pour eggs over it. Cover with two sheets of filo and add remaining almonds. Cover with another two filo sheets and fold the hanging edges over so the pastry is sealed. Whisk egg yolk with 1 tbsp water and 1 tbsp olive oil, brush onto dough. Bake in oven for about 1 hour.

6. 6.

   Remove from oven, release from pan and serve dusted with powdered sugar.