Name: Turmeric and ginger chicken fillo pie
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 12 fillo pastry sheets; 150 gm butter, melted; Sesame seeds, to serve; Spiced chicken filling; 1 tbsp ghee; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 chicken, jointed into 4 pieces (1.2 kg); 150 ml chicken stock; 30 gm ginger, finely grated; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 4 cardamom pods, bruised; 1 cinnamon quill, broken in half; 65 gm natural almonds; 4 eggs, lightly beaten; ¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and coriander

Turmeric and ginger chicken fillo pie

The flavours of this hearty pie are similar to the Moroccan pastilla made with a fine brik pastry.

Serves 8

Prep

20M

Cook

Total

2H 20M

The flavours of this pie are similar to the Moroccan pastilla made with a fine brik pastry. Here, we’ve opted for the more readily available fillo – the Antoniou brand has given us good results.

See more of our favourite recipes using turmeric.

Ingredients

12 fillo pastry sheets

150 gm butter, melted

Sesame seeds, to serve

Spiced chicken filling

1 tbsp ghee

1 onion, finely chopped

1 chicken, jointed into 4 pieces (1.2 kg)

150 ml chicken stock

30 gm ginger, finely grated

½ tsp ground turmeric

4 cardamom pods, bruised

1 cinnamon quill, broken in half

65 gm natural almonds

4 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and coriander

Method

1.For spiced chicken filling, preheat oven to 180C and heat ghee in a casserole over medium-high, then add onion and sauté until soft and starting to colour (5-7 minutes). Add chicken to pan along with stock, ginger and spices and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, then cover, transfer to the oven and braise until chicken is tender (1 hour 20 minutes). Cool, then remove chicken from sauce, shred meat (discard skin and bones) and place in a bowl. Remove whole spices from sauce, then refrigerate sauce and chicken separately, covered, until chilled (2 hours). Roast almonds on a tray until golden (5-7 minutes), cool, then chop coarsely and set aside. Spoon fat off top of sauce, then bring sauce to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in eggs, then stir until sauce thickens (1½-3 minutes; eggs may scramble a little). Cool completely, then combine with chicken and herbs, season to taste and refrigerate

2.Preheat oven to 190C. Brush a sheet of fillo with melted butter and place in a 22cm-diameter, 4cm-deep pie dish. Repeat with another 7 sheets, placing each slightly askew to the former so the dish is evenly covered (pastry will overhang the rim). Spoon filling into dish, fold in overhanging pastry, then top with individually buttered remaining fillo sheets, placing askew to each other as before. Trim edges, brush top with melted butter, scatter with sesame seeds and bake, turning pan occasionally, until pastry is golden and crisp (30-35 minutes). Serve hot from tin – the pastry softens if left to stand.