Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1.Season and Cook the Chicken

   Remove the skin from the chicken pieces. Season the chicken with salt, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, white pepper, mastic gum, and saffron threads. Mix well to coat all chicken pieces. Add oil, chopped onions (mixed red and white), chopped parsley, and a small bunch of cilantro to the pot. Add cinnamon sticks. Cover the pot and cook on low heat without adding water, as the chicken and onions will release their own liquid.

2. 2.Fry the Almonds

   Add blanched and peeled almonds to cold oil in a pan. Fry on medium heat, stirring constantly, until they turn a beautiful golden brown. Remove the almonds and drain excess oil on paper towels.

3. 3.Prepare the Onion and Egg Mixture

   Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot. To the remaining onion mixture in the pot, add butter, cinnamon powder, and granulated sugar. Stir well and continue cooking on medium-high heat until the liquid reduces significantly, the mixture is thick, caramelized, and the oil separates. This ensures a dry and flavorful filling.

4. 4.Prepare Almond Paste for Briwats

   Take 250g of the fried almonds. Blend them with 125g of granulated sugar, 1 tsp of cinnamon powder, a pinch of mastic gum, and a few strips of candied orange peel until a thick, cohesive paste forms.

5. 5.Make Decorative Briwats

   Cut phyllo pastry sheets into thin strips. Place a small amount of the almond paste at one end of a strip. Fold the strip into small triangles (briwats), sealing the final edge with egg white. Fry the briwats in hot oil until golden brown. Dip the fried briwats in cold honey.

6. 6.Shred the Chicken

   Once the cooked chicken has cooled, debone it and shred the meat into small, fine pieces.

7. 7.Finish the Onion and Egg Mixture

   Once the onion mixture is thick and reduced, add 8 beaten eggs while stirring continuously on high heat. Continue stirring vigorously until the eggs are fully cooked, the mixture is very dry, and the oil has completely separated. This step is crucial for a non-soggy bastilla.

8. 8.Prepare the Remaining Almonds

   To the remaining fried almonds (approx. 750g), add powdered sugar and cinnamon powder. Pour the reserved separated oil from the cooked onion/egg mixture over the almonds. Mix well. This adds flavor and moisture to the almond layer.

9. 9.Assemble the Bastilla

   Grease a large round baking pan (approx. 40cm diameter). Lay phyllo pastry sheets, overlapping and extending over the edges of the pan, brushing each layer generously with melted butter (or the reserved chicken fat). Ensure enough overhang to cover the filling. Spread the shredded chicken evenly as the first layer. Spread the cooked onion and egg mixture evenly over the chicken. Spread the sweetened and flavored almond mixture evenly over the egg layer. Fold the overhanging phyllo pastry sheets over the filling, brushing with butter between layers. Place additional phyllo sheets on top to create a smooth, sealed surface, tucking the edges underneath. Brush the top generously with butter.

10. 10.Bake the Bastilla

    Preheat oven to a low temperature (e.g., 160-170°C or 325-350°F). Bake for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until golden brown and crispy. Ensure it cooks slowly to allow the layers to crisp up and the filling to heat through. Flip the bastilla halfway through baking for even browning.

11. 11.Garnish and Serve

    Once baked, remove from oven and immediately brush generously with warm honey. Invert the bastilla onto a serving platter. Garnish the edges with toasted almond flakes. Dust powdered sugar in a circular pattern on top. Arrange the honey-dipped briwats in the center. Decorate with quail eggs and dried rosebuds.