When I was at the market this morning I saw the first sign that spring is near: a big bunch of California asparagus. After a few months of nothing but root vegetables and hardy greens, the pleasant snap of asparagus had real appeal and they were almost tossed into my basket. However, I have this thing for waiting it out for local asparagus, and anything else seems a bit like cheating. Oh, and the $9 price tag on the bunch was also a helpful deterrent.

So, I trudged home in the ice and snow asparagus-less, feeling a bit down about the weather and hoping for warmer days. If there was a perfect pick-me-up to brighten my mood, this bstilla bil djaj, or chicken and onion pie, was it. It combines the classic cold-weather comfort of a chicken pot-pie with the enticing and bright flavors and aromas of Middle Eastern cooking. Where a chicken-pot pie will wrap you up tightly in a cozy wool blanket in front of a crackling fire, bstilla cranks the heat on high, turns the music up, and ignites a party.

According to Claudia Roden, my current go-to source for Middle Eastern cuisine, bstilla (or pastilla) is typically made with pigeon. Since pigeon is a bit difficult to source these days, chicken makes an excellent substitute and I can imagine quail or duck would also be delicious. In my mind the protein in the recipe is secondary to the development of flavor, a delicious balance of sweet and savory, with cumin, saffron, cayenne pepper, ginger, and a dash of confectioners sugar uniting to create a beautiful dish.

recipe notes:

• The list of ingredients in this recipe may be a bit daunting, but it’s really rather easy to put together; the key is to have everything ready (measured, etc.) before you begin.
• The traditional dough that is used for bstilla is called trid or warka, but filo (or phyllo) dough (which is widely available in the frozen food section) makes an acceptable substitute. If you haven’t worked with filo before, don’t be afraid. The key is to work quickly and to keep it covered under a slightly damp towel (here is a great video demo from BBC).

bstilla:

For the bstilla pictured I adapted a recipe from Claudia Roden’s Arabesque. A quick food blog search for bstilla resulted in two recipes that I actually prefer, so instead of posting a recipe here, I am sending you over to The Traveler’s Lunchbox and La Tartine Gourmand for excellent recipes and beautiful food photography.

Tagged as: main course

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