Chicken and Almond Pie
List of Ingredients
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts, cooked
175 g (6 oz) blanched Almonds
250g (8 oz) Butter (no substitutes!)
4 tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice
Half a sachet of Saffron Strands (about 20 strands)
8 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh Parsley
9 large eggs
250 ml (8 fl oz) Chicken Stock
6 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 lbs (1 kg) fresh or frozen Filo Pastry (buy ready-made)
2 tablespoons fine SugarRecipe
Defrost the Filo pastry before starting, if using frozen. Pull or slice the chicken breasts into long, generous slices. Roast or toast the almonds thoroughly for about 10 minutes and then chop them roughly. Melt 175 g (6 oz) of the butter and add the lemon juice and saffron. Remove from heat, leave for 5 minutes to soften the saffron,
then add the chicken and parsley. Mix well, leave to cool, stirring from time to time.
In a saucepan, whisk the eggs with the chicken stock, cinnamon and cumin and cook until only just starting to set, about 8 minutes. (Watch and stir constantly - you want a sauce, not scrambled eggs!) Turn out into a cold bowl to stop the cooking process.
Preheat oven to Gas 6/200C/400F. Unroll the Filo and cover with a damp cloth - it dries out very quickly and will then be unusable. Melt the remaining butter with the olive oil. Brush a deep baking dish (say 9 inches by 12 inches - a pretty one, as the pie will go onto the table in the dish) with the butter, then use two thirds of the filo to line the dish sheet by sheet, painting each layer as you
go with more of the butter/oil mixture. Leave a good overhand of pastry all round (2 inches or so).
Sprinkle half the almonds on to the base of the pie, with half the sugar. Spread on half the egg mixture and arrange chicken pieces evenly over that, pouring on any remaining parsley, juices etc. Cover with remaining egg, then with the remaining almonds and sugar. Shake gently to get an even surface.
Turn in the overhanging pastry and layer the remaining sheets of filo across the top, painting each layer and the top liberally with oil/butter. Use a sharp knife to cut a diamond pattern through the top few leaves of pastry. Bake for 45 minutes or until you are sure the pastry is well cooked and looking crisp and golden. If some of the edges seem in danger of burning, spray or dab them with cold
water.
Leave to cool for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Cut into squares to serve. Good with rice or cous cous or tabbouleh and salads. Add pickled or preserved fruits as side dishes - apricots, kumquats, peaches etc., preserved in sugar, wine vinegar and spices.
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