Chicken and Almond Pastilla

For the Chicken Filling:

• 1 whole chicken (1.5 kg)
• 200g butter
• 1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• 4 onions, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 pinch of saffron
• 6 eggs
• 1 glass of oil
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 small glass of granulated sugar
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tbsp icing sugar (for decoration)

For the Almond Filling:

• 250g blanched almonds
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp orange blossom water

Preparation:

1. Cook the Chicken: Cut the chicken into pieces and place it in a pot with a little butter. Add the chopped onions, finely chopped parsley, saffron, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and half of the sugar. Pour in a glass of water and let it cook for 20 minutes.
2. Shred the Chicken: Once cooked, remove the chicken from the sauce, debone it, and shred it into small pieces.
3. Reduce the Sauce: Return the sauce to the heat and let it reduce completely while stirring continuously. Add the eggs one by one, stirring vigorously after each addition. The sauce should become thick and creamy.
4. Prepare the Almond Mixture: Roast the almonds in the oven until golden. Crush them in a food processor along with the cinnamon, icing sugar, and orange blossom water.
5. Assemble the Pastilla: Preheat the oven to 180–190°C. Butter a round baking dish (such as a tart pan). Lay three or four sheets of brick pastry (previously brushed with melted butter) in an overlapping manner, leaving half of each sheet hanging over the edges of the dish. Add one or two additional sheets, well buttered, in the center to reinforce the base. Note: The buttered side of the sheets should always face up.
6. Layer the Fillings: Spread a layer of shredded chicken evenly over the pastry. Then, add the thickened egg sauce (all fillings should be cool, or the pastry will tear).
7. Add the Almonds: Cover with a buttered and pre-toasted brick sheet, then spread the crushed almonds on top.
8. Close the Pastilla: Fold in the overhanging pastry sheets, pressing gently to seal over the almond layer. Cover with three well-buttered sheets to close the pastilla. Tip: Brush the top layer with egg white to prevent it from separating during baking.

Bake: Brush with the remaining melted butter and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and crispy.