Ingredients

For the Filling:
1 Tbl tomato paste
1 lb ground chicken
1 Tbl Ras el Hanout Blend
½ cup chopped red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup Harissa Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup dried chopped apricots
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 package phyllo dough sheets
For the Spicy Dipping Sauce:
3 Tbl Harissa Paste
1 cup Mayo
Quick Pickled Carrots for serving

Maghreb b’stilla – pronounced pas-tee-yah – is a special-occasion dish firmly routed in Morocco. Often made with chicken, traditionally it was made with pigeon. We stuck with chicken. This meat pie is made in a round baking dish with phyllo pastry on top. In our version, we moved the filling to phyllo pockets to make hand pies. Great for piling up on a platter and serving a crowd.

We seasoned the filling with Ras El Hanout Blend and added in dried fruit and nuts. Harissa Extra Virgin Olive Oil seasons the mayo dipping sauce to perfection. B’stilla – fun to say, even better to eat!

Instructions

1.To make the filling: In a saute pan set over medium heat, combine the ground chicken, Ras El Hanout, onion, garlic, tomato paste and Harissa Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Saute until the chicken is no longer pink—about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the brown sugar, dried fruit and nuts. Set aside to cool, then chill the filling.
2.Next, make the Spicy Dipping Sauce: Combine 1-2 Harissa Paste with mayo. Adjust the paste and/or mayo up or down to achieve preferred spiciness. More mayo to cool it down. More Harissa to spice it up.
3.To assemble and bake the B'Stilla: Place 2 phyllo sheets longways on a work surface, buttering between the layers. Cut into 6 strips. Place 1 Tbl filling on sheet and fold into triangles. Bake at 375°F until golden brown. Serve with Harissa Mayo and Quick Pickled Carrots.

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