13031 Phyllo Triangles with Quail, Eggs, Onions, and Spices Serves 8 Wed Aug 06 08:19:03 -0700 2008 Fri Feb 06 05:24:49 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/13031 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:24:49 GMT B'stila (bisteeya) is traditionally made with very thin sheets of pastry called warka. It takes a true master to produce these sheets of pastry and in Morocco they are made by dadas, women descended from Sudanese slaves. Modern Moroccan housewives no longer make their own pastry sheets, preferring to purchase them at the market from the dadas. Phyllo dough makes an excellent substitute for warka. B'stila (bisteeya) is normally made in the shape of a large, flattened pie, but this version, known as a briouat, is made into small triangles for individual service.

The spice mix in this recipe, ras el hanout, is a complex blend that may contain more than twenty spices. Most recipes in Morocco include an aphrodisiac such as Spanish fly, but this ingredient is not present in the recipe given in the Chef Notes. The literal translation of ras el hanout is “top of the shop.”

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  • Sauté the almonds in butter until golden brown and aromatic. Add the confectioner's sugar and ¼ teaspoon [1 mL] of the cinnamon, and stir to coat. Reserve.
  • Heat the butter and brown the quail over medium-high heat. Remove and reserve the quail.
  • Add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon [3 mL] of cinnamon, the ginger, ras el hanout, hot chile, and saffron. Briefly sauté until aromatic. Immediately add the chicken stock, the reserved quail, and any accumulated juices and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat and simmer until the quail are cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove the quail to cool and reduce the liquid until most has evaporated.
  • While the liquid is reducing, bone the quail, reserving the meat and any accumulated juices. Add the parsley and cilantro to the reduced liquid.
  • Stir the beaten egg into the reduction and scramble the mixture until the eggs are cooked and fluffy. Season to taste with salt. Add the quail meat and any juices and mix well. Reserve and allow to cool. (This filling may be prepared 1 day in advance and refrigerated.)
  • Remove 1 phyllo sheet and brush it with melted clarified butter. Immediately cover the remaining phyllo sheets with the cloth. Fold the sheet in half lengthwise and brush the surface with more clarified butter.
  • To form triangles, place 1 to 2 tablespoons [15 to 30 mL] of filling at the bottom of the folded sheet, about ¼ inch [6 mm] from the edge. Top with some of the reserved almond mixture.
  • Bring 1 corner of the pastry over the filling and fold to form a triangle. Brush with clarified butter and fold over again. Continue brushing with butter and folding (as you would fold a flag) until the opposite end of the pastry is reached. Fold any excess phyllo under the triangle to maintain the shape.
  • Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan and cover with plastic film. Continue until all the triangles are formed in this way. (The phyllo triangles may be made several hours in advance and stored covered and refrigerated.)
  • Place the folded phyllo pastries on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Brush the tops of the triangles with clarified butter and bake at 400°F [205°C] for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Dust the tops of the triangles with confectioner's sugar. Create an interesting pattern (lattice or geometric is traditional) with cinnamon sprinkled over the confectioner's sugar.
  • Place all the ingredients in a dry nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and toast, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  • Grind the mixture in a blender or spice grinder until very fine. Pass through a very fine sieve. Store in a cool, dark place.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com Arthur L. Meyer 50 Main 3 tablespoons [45 mL] blanched almonds, coarsely chopped

    ]]>     3 tablespoons [25 mL] unsalted butter

    ]]>     ½ tablespoon [8 mL] confectioner's sugar

    ]]>     ¾ teaspoon [4 mL] ground cinnamon

    ]]>     2 quail

    ]]>     1 small onion, minced

    ]]>     2 garlic cloves

    ]]>     ½ teaspoon [3 mL] ground ginger

    ]]>     ¼ teaspoon [1 mL] ras el hanout (see Chef Notes)

    ]]>     ⅛ teaspoon [0.5 mL] dried hot chile 4 threads saffron, toasted and crushed

    ]]>     ¾ cup [180 mL] chicken stock

    ]]>     1½ tablespoons [25 mL] parsley, minced

    ]]>     1 tablespoon [15 mL] cilantro, minced

    ]]>     2 eggs, lightly beaten

    ]]>     Salt to taste

    ]]>     8 sheets phyllo pastry, thawed and covered with a damp cloth

    ]]>     Clarified butter, melted, to brush on triangles

    ]]>     Confectioner's sugar, to dust triangles

    ]]>     Ground cinnamon, to dust triangles

    ]]>     2½ tablespoons [40 mL] allspice berries

    ]]>     ¼ cup [60 mL] black peppercorns

    ]]>     2 tablespoons [30 mL] dried galangal

    ]]>     1½ tablespoons [25 mL] mace blades

    ]]>     1½ whole nutmegs, cracked

    ]]>     10 cardamom pods

    ]]>     20 threads saffron

    ]]>     ¾ cup [180 mL] ground ginger

    ]]>     ¼ cup [60 mL] ground cinnamon

    ]]>     2 tablespoons [30 mL] turmeric

    ]]>     1 clove

    ]]>     3 dried rosebuds or

    ]]>     2 tablespoons [30 mL] dried rose petals

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