makes
8
prep
20 minutes
cook
1:40 hour
difficulty
Easy
makes
8
serves
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
1:40
hour
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamon
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 4 skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin strips
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 250 ml chicken stock
- salt and pepper to season
- 1 tbsp honey
- 75 g almond meal
- 100 g dried apricots, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 packet (375 g)
- 150 g butter, melted
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- icing sugar for dusting
Before you begin this Fillo Pastry recipe, take your Fillo Pastry out of the fridge for at least 2 hours, still in its plastic bag and allow it to come up to room temperature.
Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil on a medium heat in a large saucepan, 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 add the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for 45 mins.
2. 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. (You can make the mixture a day ahead and use the following day, the flavours are a lot more pronounced).
3. Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a tray with baking paper.
4. 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.
5. 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 and wrap up into a neat parcel (resembling a small “money bag”).
6. Tuck any excess Fillo from the top of the parcel under the pastilla and brush 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
7. Bake in the oven for 20 mins until golden brown and allow to cool for 10 mins before dusting with icing sugar.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
