Salty & Street Food

B'stilla

البسطيلة

“Sweet meets savory in crispy, golden pastry.”

The Story

A masterpiece of Moroccan cuisine: a pastry envelope filled with spiced chicken, almonds, and eggs, dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar. The contrast of savory filling and sweet powder, crispy exterior and tender interior, makes b'stilla an unforgettable experience.

Origin: Fes, Morocco

Prep

45 min

Cook

35 min

Serves

4–6

Difficulty

Hard

Ingredients

Serves 4–6

chicken breast, diced800g
blanched almonds, slivered200g
eggs4
onion, finely minced1 large
cilantro, chopped2 tbsp
parsley, chopped2 tbsp
ground ginger1 tsp
ground cinnamon½ tsp
turmeric½ tsp
sheets warqa or phyllo dough12–15
clarified butter200ml
icing sugar2 tbsp
ground cinnamon (for dusting)1 tsp
Salt & pepper

The Recipe

1
Heat 2 tbsp clarified butter in a large pan. Add diced chicken and cook until 75% done (about 8 minutes).
2
Add minced onion, ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric. Cook for 3 minutes until fragrant.
3
Add cilantro and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until chicken is completely done (3–4 minutes). Cool to room temperature.
4
Toast slivered almonds in a dry pan over medium heat until golden (4–5 minutes). Set aside.
5
In a small bowl, beat eggs. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a non-stick pan and scramble the eggs until barely set (still creamy). Cool.
6
Mix cooled chicken with almonds and scrambled eggs.
7
Layer 3–4 warqa sheets on a work surface, brushing each generously with clarified butter.
8
Spread 1/3 of filling on one edge and roll into a tight cylinder, folding the sides as you go.
9
Form into a coil on a buttered baking sheet.
10
Repeat with remaining sheets and filling to make 2–3 pastries.
11
Brush all over with remaining butter.
12
Bake at 190°C for 25–30 minutes until deep golden brown.
13
Dust generously with icing sugar and cinnamon lines in a crisscross pattern.

Chef's Tips

Warqa sheets are more delicate than phyllo — handle gently and keep them covered until use.
The filling must be cool before filling the pastry or it will make the dough soggy.
Scrambled eggs should be barely set — they'll continue to cook slightly during baking.
B'stilla is best served warm, within 1 hour of baking.

Did You Know?

B'stilla's origins may lie in medieval Spanish Andalusian cuisine. The technique of combining meat with fruit and spice, wrapped in pastry, appears in 13th-century Al-Andalus cookbooks. It evolved distinctly in Morocco and is now considered quintessentially Moroccan.

Find It In

FesMarrakechTetouan

Pairs Well With

Mint TeaHariraVegetable Tagine

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Flavours

B'stilla

البسطيلة

“Sweet meets savory in crispy, golden pastry.”

Prep 45 min · Cook 35 min · Serves 4–6 · Difficulty Hard · Origin: Fes, Morocco

Ingredients · Serves 4–6

chicken breast, diced800g
blanched almonds, slivered200g
eggs4
onion, finely minced1 large
cilantro, chopped2 tbsp
parsley, chopped2 tbsp
ground ginger1 tsp
ground cinnamon½ tsp
turmeric½ tsp
sheets warqa or phyllo dough12–15
clarified butter200ml
icing sugar2 tbsp
ground cinnamon (for dusting)1 tsp
Salt & pepper

The Recipe

1.Heat 2 tbsp clarified butter in a large pan. Add diced chicken and cook until 75% done (about 8 minutes).
2.Add minced onion, ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric. Cook for 3 minutes until fragrant.
3.Add cilantro and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until chicken is completely done (3–4 minutes). Cool to room temperature.
4.Toast slivered almonds in a dry pan over medium heat until golden (4–5 minutes). Set aside.
5.In a small bowl, beat eggs. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a non-stick pan and scramble the eggs until barely set (still creamy). Cool.
6.Mix cooled chicken with almonds and scrambled eggs.
7.Layer 3–4 warqa sheets on a work surface, brushing each generously with clarified butter.
8.Spread 1/3 of filling on one edge and roll into a tight cylinder, folding the sides as you go.
9.Form into a coil on a buttered baking sheet.
10.Repeat with remaining sheets and filling to make 2–3 pastries.
11.Brush all over with remaining butter.
12.Bake at 190°C for 25–30 minutes until deep golden brown.
13.Dust generously with icing sugar and cinnamon lines in a crisscross pattern.

Chef's Tips

Warqa sheets are more delicate than phyllo — handle gently and keep them covered until use.
The filling must be cool before filling the pastry or it will make the dough soggy.
Scrambled eggs should be barely set — they'll continue to cook slightly during baking.
B'stilla is best served warm, within 1 hour of baking.

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