Bastilla — also spelled b'stilla, pastilla, or bastila — is the most elaborate dish in Moroccan cooking. It is a layered pie of warka pastry (similar to filo) filled with slow-braised pigeon or chicken, a spiced egg custard, and caramelised almonds with cinnamon and sugar, then dusted on top with more icing sugar and cinnamon. It is sweet and savoury simultaneously — a combination that defines Moroccan cuisine's Andalusian inheritance. It is prepared for weddings and major celebrations. The fat throughout is real butter.
Sweet and Savoury
The sweet-savoury combination in bastilla — meat with cinnamon, almonds, and sugar — is a direct inheritance from the Moorish cooking of Al-Andalus, the medieval Islamic civilisation of the Iberian Peninsula. This combination, common in medieval European cooking too, largely disappeared from Western cuisine after the 17th century but survived in North African cooking, where it remains one of the most celebrated flavour combinations.
Serves 6 · Prep 1 hour · Cook 2 hours
Ingredients
- Filling: 1 whole chicken, 1 onion diced, 3 tbsp butter, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp saffron, 6 eggs beaten, fresh parsley and coriander
- Almond layer: 200g blanched almonds toasted and roughly chopped, 2 tbsp icing sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon
- Assembly: 200g filo pastry or warka, 100g butter melted
- Topping: icing sugar and cinnamon for dusting
Method
- Braise chicken in butter with onion, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, saffron, and herbs with 200ml water 45 minutes until very tender.
- Remove chicken. Shred meat off the bone. Discard bones.
- Reduce braising liquid to 4-5 tbsp. Add beaten eggs to liquid over low heat, scrambling gently until just set. Mix with shredded chicken.
- Combine almonds with icing sugar and cinnamon.
- Butter a 30cm round baking dish. Layer 5-6 sheets filo, brushing each with butter, draping over edges.
- Add chicken and egg filling. Add almond layer.
- Fold overhanging filo over filling. Layer more buttered filo on top.
- Bake 200°C for 25-30 minutes until deeply golden.
- Dust with icing sugar and cinnamon. Serve immediately.
Can I use chicken instead of pigeon?
Yes — chicken bastilla is now more common than the original pigeon version. Use a whole chicken and braise as described.
What is warka pastry?
A Moroccan paper-thin pastry similar to filo, made by tapping a ball of dough against a hot pan. Filo pastry is the accessible substitute and works perfectly.
How far ahead can I prepare bastilla?
The filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Assemble and bake on the day of serving — filo pastry does not keep assembled.
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