Name: Baked chicken and pastry tagine
Yield: Serves 6–8
Cuisine: Tunisian
Ingredients: salt and ground black pepper, to taste; 1 kg (2 lb 2 oz) chicken thighs (on the bone, skin left on); 3 onions, peeled and chopped; vegetable oil, for frying and brushing the pastry and dish; 4 eggs, beaten; 2 egg yolks mixed with 1–2 tsp vegetable oil, to glaze; 100 g (3½ oz) hard cheese, such as Gruyère, grated; 1–2 tsp crushed saffron threads, or freshly ground nutmeg, mixed with a little water; 250 g (9 oz) ricotta cheese, thinly sliced; 12 large rounds filo pastry, each about 25–30 cm (10–12 in) in diameter

Preparation info

Serves
6–8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The North African Kitchen

By Fiona Dunlop

Published 2008

About

This extremely refined dish of Turkish origin is never found in restaurants as it is far too complex. It is a great party piece, a kind of magician’s trump card, and very close to a Moroccan pastilla in form, though without the sweetness. It looks like a pie but conceals an interior that alternates crunch with creaminess plus a strong saffron hit. The chicken can be replaced by minced beef or chopped veal. If made in advance, which may be advisable, r