Ingredients
Makes 8 Pastilla's
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
4 skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin strips
1 tbsp plain flour
250ml chicken stock
salt and pepper to season
1 tbsp honey
75g almond meal
100g dried apricots, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 packet Antoniou Fillo Pastry
150g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
icing sugar for dusting
Method
Before you begin this recipe, take your fresh Fillo Pastry out of the fridge and allow it to come up to room temperature in its packaging.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat, add the garlic and onion and cook for 5 mins. until translucent. Add the cinnamon, cardamon, turmeric and ginger. Stir for 1 min until aromatic, then add the chicken strips and flour.
Stir well ensuring the chicken is coated and then add the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for 45 mins.
Add the honey, almond meal, apricots and parsley. Stir and allow the mixture to cook for another 20 mins on a medium/high heat. The mixture should be quite thick. Allow to cool completely before using.
Note: You can make the mixture a day ahead and use the following day. The flavours are a lot more pronounced.
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C and line a tray with baking paper.
On a clean bench lay one sheet of Fillo Pastry with the longer edge facing you and brush liberally with melted butter. Repeat this process with 2 more sheets until you have a stack of 3 sheets.
Cut the stack of Fillo Pastry in half to make two large squares. In the centre of the square place a heaped tablespoon of the chicken mixture. Wrap the pastry up into a neat parcel around the filling, twisting slightly (resembling a small “money bag”).
Tuck the excess fillo from the top of the parcel back under the pastilla and brush well with beaten egg to hold it together. Brush liberally with butter and repeat with the remaining chicken mixture and Fillo until you have 8 pastillas
Bake in the oven for 20 mins or until golden brown and allow to cool for 10 mins. before dusting with icing sugar.