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Pastilla is a captivating dish balancing sweet and savory elements. Beginning with chicken seasoned with saffron, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon, the dish is slowly stewed until tender. The meat is then shredded, combined with toasted almonds coated in cinnamon and confectioners sugar, infused with preserved lemon, and mixed with herbs.
For the pastry, layers of filo are buttered generously, creating a flaky casing. The cooked chicken mixture is layered with almond filling and carefully enclosed with more filo, which is trimmed and scored into a diamond pattern. The assembled pie is baked until golden and crispy, then dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon—an aromatic and visually striking dish that melds Middle Eastern spices with fine pastry texture.