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Jewish World Review Sweet and savory, crispy and meltingly tender bestilla By JeanMarie Brownson http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT) Sometimes one dish haunts you for your whole life. Thirty years ago the wife of the Moroccan Consulate General in Chicago shared her recipe for bestilla with the recipe testers at Cuisine magazine and told us the ins and outs of her country's most beloved dish. Layers of handmade, paper-thin dough encased tender shredded poultry in a highly seasoned herb and egg filling, crispy almonds and a touch of cinnamon sugar. To this day, we remember the lesson, the aromas and the flavors. We've had a few good versions in restaurants. Each time, the combination of sweet and savory, crispy and meltingly tender persuades us to cook our own. But busy lives mean little time to spend a whole day in the kitchen. The answer lies in a less complicated version -- one made not with the traditional squab but boneless skinless chicken thighs so readily available now. Store-bought marcona almonds replace the home-toasted almonds and high-heat canola oil replaces a little of the butter to cut richness. Warkha pastry, the paper-thin, traditional dough cooked on a griddle over glowing embers for bestilla, is best left to the masters. Instead, we rely on sheets of frozen phyllo dough found in most large supermarkets. In the traditional version, the chicken and egg filling is encased in the dough by a complicated folding procedure on a large round pan. Midway through the baking, the whole bestilla is inverted. Today, we use the old standby metal 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Don't fret over the phyllo layering. It sounds complicated, but the goal is simply to encase the filling in the flaky leaves; you really can't go wrong. For starters, set out bowls of assorted olives marinated with a little fresh orange juice, grated orange rind and chopped garlic. Serve the bestilla cut into large rectangles on warm plates. Baby spinach, tossed with currants, red onion and a sweet red wine vinaigrette pairs nicely with the spicy chicken dish. For dessert, melt a little orange marmalade in the microwave and serve it over scoops of caramel ice cream. Offer small cups of sweetened fresh mint tea to ease digestion, freshen the breath and give you sweet dreams until your next bestilla moment. QUICK COOKING TIP: The chicken mixture from Step 1 of the bestilla is delicious. For a quick dinner, cut the chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces and simmer as directed. Serve the chicken mixture over cooked couscous. MOROCCAN-STYLE CHICKEN BESTILLA Prep: 1 hour Cook: 1 1/2 hours Makes: 8 servings 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 6 pieces 2 onions, chopped 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted 1/4 cup each chopped fresh: parsley, cilantro 2 teaspoons sweet paprika 1 teaspoon each: salt, ground cumin, cinnamon 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground saffron, optional 1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine 1/3 cup canola oil 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar 4 eggs, lightly beaten 12 sheets (about 2/3 of a 1-pound package) phyllo dough, thawed according to package directions 1/3 cup chopped marcona almonds, or regular blanched, toasted almonds 1. Combine the chicken, onions, tomatoes, parsley, cilantro, paprika, salt, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, ground red pepper and saffron in a large saucepan or Dutch oven; heat over medium heat to a simmer. Cover pan; reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring often, until the chicken is tender and juices run clear, about 25 minutes. Remove the chicken with tongs to a plate; let cool. Meanwhile, melt the margarine with the oil in a bowl in the microwave on high, about 30 seconds; set aside. Combine the sugar with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside. 2. Heat the onion mixture to a boil; boil gently, uncovered and stirring often, until the juices are mostly evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the eggs; cook, stirring gently, until the eggs are set like soft scrambled eggs; cool. Pull the cooled chicken into large shreds. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of at 13-by-9-inch baking pan with some of the margarine mixture. 3. Lay a clean kitchen towel on the counter; unfold the phyllo sheets on it. Cover the phyllo with another clean towel so the phyllo doesn't dry out. Lay a third clean towel on the counter in front of you; place one sheet of phyllo on it. Brush the sheet with the margarine mixture to coat evenly. Top with another phyllo sheet; butter it. Repeat to make a stack of 4. Arrange this stack of 4 phyllo sheets lengthwise in the baking pan. Repeat to make a second stack of 4 buttered phyllo sheets; arrange the stack widthwise in the pan. 4. Spoon the egg mixture into the pan, spreading it evenly. Top with the shredded chicken, then the almonds. Sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Fold in the overhanging phyllo sheets. Make one more stack of 4 buttered phyllo sheets; use this stack to cover the pan. Tuck all the phyllo sheets into the pan to enclose the filling. Brush top with margarine. 5. Bake 20 minutes; reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Bake until the phyllo is golden, about 40 minutes; let cool 10 minutes. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cinnamon-sugar. Cut the bestilla into large rectangles with a serrated knife. Nutrition information Per serving: 563 calories, 59 percent of calories from fat, 37 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, 210 mg cholesterol, 30 g carbohydrates, 28 g protein, 647 mg sodium, 3 g fiber SWEET MINT TEA Prep: 10 minutes Makes: 8 servings 2 bunches (about 1 1/2 ounces total) fresh mint sprigs, rinsed 5 black tea bags 2/3 cup sugar 6 cups boiling water Place mint sprigs in a large ceramic teapot; add the tea bags and sugar. Fill the teapot with the boiling water; stir to dissolve the sugar and bruise the mint a little. Let steep 3-4 minutes; pour through a small strainer into tea cups. Nutrition information Per serving: 61 calories, 0 percent of calories from fat, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 16 g carbohydrates, 0 g protein, 5 mg sodium, 0 g fiber Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. To comment, please click here. © 2008, Chicago Tribune Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.