Chicken Almond Pie Recipes

MOROCCAN FLAKY CHICKEN AND ALMOND PIE FROM THE JEWISH COOKBOOK.

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 6-8 minutes.
• Add the ras el hanout, pepper flakes, and saffron and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the chicken, stock, and cilantro (coriander). Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes.
• Remove the chicken pieces with tongs and transfer to a plate to cool.
• Strain the cooking liquid through a fine- mesh sieve (discard the solids) and return the liquid to the pot. Set pot over medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until reduced to about 1 cup (240 ml/8 fl oz) thick gravy, 20-30 minutes.
• Taste and add salt, if needed (it may not need any salt if the chicken stock used is salted), then remove from the heat and let cool.
• Meanwhile, remove the chicken meat from the bones and shred into bite-size pieces (discard the skin and bones).
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together. Add the cooled reduced cooking liquid and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In a bowl, stir together the almond flour, sugar, oil, and cinnamon.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/Gas Mark 6). Lightly grease a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan.
• Place the phyllo dough on a flat surface and cover with a damp tea towel to avoid drying out. Take one piece of phyllo (leaving the rest covered) and fit it into the bottom and up the sides of the cake pan. (The phyllo will hang over the sides.) Brush the phyllo lightly and evenly with the oil.
• Repeat with 4 more sheets of phyllo, draping them in different directions.
• Spread about one-third of the egg mixture into the pan.
• Mix another one-third with the shredded chicken and spoon into the pan.
• Spread the remaining one-third egg mixture on top and sprinkle with the almond mixture.
• Fold the overhanging pastry over the top of the pie and brush with oil.
• Take the remaining piece of phyllo, fold it in half, and drape it over the top of the pie. Brush it with oil, tucking the edges into the sides of the pan.
• Bake until golden brown and set, 20-25 minutes.
• Let cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
• Just before serving, use a fine-mesh sieve to lightly dust the top of the pie with powdered (icing) sugar, then carefully sprinkle lines of cinnamon in a decorative pattern on top.

CREAMY ALMOND CHICKEN BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Spread bread crumbs into a wide, shallow bowl. Press chicken breast halves into bread crumbs to coat. Gently pat chicken to let any loose crumbs fall away. Place coated breasts onto a plate while breading the rest; do not stack.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in hot oil to brown completely, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
• Spread rice into the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish. Arrange browned chicken breasts atop the rice.
• Mix ranch dressing, celery soup, mozzarella cheese, and almonds together in a bowl; pour over the chicken and rice, assuring the chicken is covered completely. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese over the ranch dressing mixture and top with crushed potato chips.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown on top and the chicken is no longer pink in the center, 30 to 40 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

QUICK ALMOND CHICKEN STIR-FRY

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook almonds in oil for 3 minutes. Add chicken; cook until meat is no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. , In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, broth, soy sauce, honey and ginger until smooth; add to chicken mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat; add in peas. Cook and stir until heated through. Serve with pasta or rice.

CHICKEN ALMOND PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Measure out half a cup of cheese
• and half a cup of almonds; set aside. Combine remaining ingredients,
• except pie shell, and mix well. Spoon this mixture into pie shell.
• Top with reserved cheese and almonds. Bake 30 minutes.

INDIVIDUAL B'STILLAS (MOROCCAN CHICKEN AND ALMOND PIES)

Steps:

• To make the almond sugar:
• In a food processor grind fine almonds, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Almond sugar may be made 1 day ahead and kept covered in a cool dark place.
• To make the filling:
• In a small bowl combine saffron with hot water and let stand 10 minutes.
• In a heavy 4-quart kettle sauté onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate and add ginger, ras el hanout, and pepper. Cook mixture, stirring, 3 minutes.
• Add chicken parts, broth, and saffron mixture and simmer, covered, turning the chicken once, until chicken is very tender and cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes. Let chicken stand in cooking liquid off heat 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, reserving cooking liquid and solids, and, when cool enough to handle, shred chicken, discarding skin and bones.
• Measure reserved cooking liquid and solids and if necessary boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 3/4 cups. Reduce heat to moderate and add eggs in a stream, whisking. Cook mixture, stirring, until eggs are set, about 3 minutes. Remove kettle from heat and pour egg mixture into a coarse sieve set over a bowl. Let mixture drain undisturbed 10 minutes before discarding liquid. Transfer egg mixture to a bowl. Stir in chicken, parsley, coriander, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste and chill. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and kept chilled, covered.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. and butter 2 large shallow baking pans.
• In a small saucepan melt remaining 9 tablespoons butter and keep warm but not hot.
• Cut phyllo sheets in half lengthwise and stack between 2 sheets wax paper. Cover wax paper sheets with a kitchen towel. On a work surface arrange a half sheet of phyllo with short side facing you and brush with melted butter. On this, layer and brush 3 more half sheets of phyllo in the same manner.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon almond sugar on short side of phyllo nearest you to cover about 2 1/2-by 4-inch area, leaving a 1-inch border on 3 edges. Put 1/3 cup chicken mixture over almond sugar and spread out slightly. Top chicken mixture with 1 more tablespoon almond sugar and roll up filling in phyllo, folding in sides after first roll. Transfer b'stilla immediately.
• Form 8 more b'stillas in the same manner with remaining phyllo, butter, almond sugar, and chicken mixture, chilling each b'stilla as it is made. B'stillas may be prepared up to this point 4 hours ahead and kept chilled, covered lightly with plastic wrap once cold.
• Bake chilled b'stillas in oven until tops and ends are puffed and browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool b'stillas slightly on a rack. Sprinkle b'stillas with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon and serve warm.
• To make the ras el hanout:
• In a spice grinder or cleaned coffee grinder grind fine aniseed, fennel seeds, allspice berries, cardamom seeds, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cuminseed, and red pepper flakes, In a small bowl stir together ground spice mixture, mace, ginger, and nutmeg until combine well. Ras el hanout may be stored in a tightly closed jar in a cool dark place up to 6 months. Makes about 1/4 cup.

CHICKEN & ALMOND PASTILLAS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp butter in a large casserole dish, add the onion, ginger and garlic, and cook for 5 mins until soft. Add the cinnamon, the cardamom seeds and the turmeric. Stir around the pan for 30 secs until aromatic, then add the chicken and flour. Stir to coat the chicken pieces, then add the chicken stock and season. Stir, cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 45 mins.
• Remove the lid from the pan and lift the chicken pieces onto a plate. Add the honey and almonds to the cooking liquid and turn up the heat. Bubble the liquid until thick and reduced by about half. Meanwhile, finely shred the chicken with 2 forks. Return the chicken to the sauce and stir in the orange zest, apricots, flaked almonds and parsley - the mixture should be quite thick. Leave to cool.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unwrap the pastry, keeping any you're not working with under a damp tea towel, so it doesn't dry out. Taking one piece at a time, brush all over with the melted butter, and around the edges with the beaten egg. Put roughly a sixth of the chicken filling in the top right-hand corner in a triangular shape. Fold the opposite side of the pastry over to cover the filling. Keep flipping the encased filing down the pastry, brushing between the layers with butter as you go, to give you a triangular parcel, like a large samosa. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling until you have 6 pastillas. Put the pastillas on a baking tray and brush the tops with egg. Bake for 25 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden.
• For an authentic finish, mix together the remaining cinnamon and icing sugar, and dust the pastillas just before serving.

BISTEEYA OR MOROCCAN CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• In a large skillet put 2 tablespoons butter, the chicken pieces, onions, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper,2 teaspoons cinnamon, the ginger, cumin, cayenne, saffron, turmeric and chicken stock.
• simmer gently, covered, until the chicken is cooked, 45 minutes.
• remove the chicken from the sauce and let it cool.
• remove all the bones and tear the chicken into 1 inch pieces.
• bring the liquid to a simmer and add the eggs stirring gently until the eggs are cooked and most of the liquid is evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes.
• add the chicken, cilantro, parsley, salt and pepper and mix well.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Toast the almonds in the oven until they are very lightly golden and hot to the touch, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Coarsely chop them in a blender or food processor and mix with 3 tablespoons sugar and 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon.
• set aside and reserve the rest of the cinnamon sugar for a garnish.
• Melt the remaining 12 tablespoons butter. brush a 12 inch pie pan with the butter.
• place one sheet of phyllo dough on the bottom of the pie plate so that it completely covers the bottom of the plate and extends over one side by several inches.
• brush the whole sheet of phyllo lightly and continue with 7 more sheets moving in a pinwheel effect, brushing butter on each sheet.
• spread the chicken mixture on the phyllo and sprinkle with the almond mixture.
• Fold the overhanging phyllo up over the chicken and almonds and brush with butter.
• then continue adding 7 more sheets of phyllo to the pie as your did before.
• tuck all the overhanging edges under the pie and brush remaining butter over top of the pie.
• place in 375F oven and bake until golden brown and flaky, about 20 minutes.
• sprinkle the garnishing cinnamon and sugar over top.

ALMOND SAUCE CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Pound chicken breasts to flatten; Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a small bowl, beat together egg and water to make egg wash. Place almond crumbs in a shallow dish or bowl; dip chicken in egg wash, then dredge in almonds.
• Melt butter with olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Brown coated chicken quickly, then transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In same skillet, brown the mushrooms and onions with the garlic. Mix together and spread mixture over the chicken.
• In same skillet, combine the cream and almond paste and mix together; heat through, then stir in nutmeg. Pour sauce over chicken, mushrooms and onions.
• Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.

MOROCCAN-STYLE CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• For filling:
• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Mix in cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and saffron; stir 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over; stir 1 minute. Add broth; bring to simmer. Sprinkle chicken with salt; add to broth mixture. Gently simmer chicken uncovered until cooked through, reducing heat if necessary to prevent boiling, about 20 minutes. Stir in raisins. Set skillet aside until chicken is cool enough to handle.
• Transfer chicken to plate. Shred chicken coarsely and return to skillet. If sauce is thin, simmer over medium heat until sauce coats chicken thickly. Stir in cilantro and parsley. Season filling with salt and pepper. Cool filling completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill.
• For phyllo:
• Finely grind almonds, powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and cinnamon in mini processor.
• Stack 10 phyllo sheets on work surface. Invert 9-inch glass pie dish onto stack. Cut around dish through phyllo, making ten 10-inch rounds. Remove dish. Cover rounds with plastic wrap and damp kitchen towel.
• Brush same pie dish with melted butter. Place 1 phyllo round on work surface; brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almonds. Top with another phyllo round, brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almonds. Repeat stacking with 3 more phyllo rounds, butter, and almonds. Fit phyllo stack into prepared pie dish. Brush with butter. Spoon filling evenly over. Place 1 phyllo round on work surface. Brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almonds. Top with another phyllo round, brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almonds. Repeat with 2 phyllo rounds, butter, and almonds. Place stack atop filling; top with remaining phyllo round. Tuck in edges. Drizzle more butter over top. Cut 4 slits through top phyllo stack to allow steam to escape. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet. Bake uncovered until phyllo is golden and filling is heated through, about 40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Cut into wedges.