Bastilla

Moroccan Bastilla

I originally discovered this dish at a Moroccan restaurant in Houston. I finally found enough references online to piece together this recipe.

Medium 6-8
30 minutes 1 hour for meat sauce, 45 min to assemble and bake
 Main Dish  Middle-Eastern  Beef, Lamb

Submitted by Tonya Marie

Ingredients

  • -For the meat filling-
  • Enough for one 9" pie, four 6" pies, or eight 4" pies. Scale as needed.
  • Spice blend:
  • • 1 Tbsp ground cumin
  • • 1 Tbsp ground coriander
  • • 1 tsp salt
  • • freshly ground black pepper
  • • 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • • 1 bay leaf
  • • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 lb ground lamb, beef, or a mix
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2-3 scallions, finely chopped
  • 2 medium fresh tomatoes, chopped
  • ¾ cup pine nuts
  • -For assembling the pies-
  • Spice blend:
  • • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • • 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
  • • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 10 pieces of 12" x 1" #4 phyllo pastry per pie
  • 4-5 tbsp butter, melted
  • Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions

Before starting

Defrost phyllo dough in refrigerator. Don't try working with frozen phyllo, this will lead to tears!

Meat filling

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté until the onions are translucent but not browned, about 4-5 minutes. Add the ground meat and cook until browned and broken up (no big lumps or meatballs).

Add the tomato paste and stir to mix well, then add the spice blend. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes to let flavors blend. 

Add the white wine and beef broth, mix well, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium/medium low (just enough to keep the mixture at a low simmer) and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. At this point, the vast majority of liquid should be evaporated and the mixture should be quite thick. 

Add the cilantro, scallions, tomatoes, and pine nuts to the mixture and stir well.  Allow to cook so that the tomatoes release their juices, about another 4-5 minutes, then remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. 

If using immediately, allow mixture to cool to nearly room temperature while preheating the oven.

Assembling the pies

Preheat the oven  to 375° F. 

Grind the spices in spice mill, mini food processor or mortar and pestle. Melt the butter in a small dish and have a pastry brush on hand. 

Take out phyllo sheets and cut to size:

  • For one 9" pie, use full sheets
  • For four 6" pies, cut sheets into quarters.
  • For eight 4" pies, cut sheets into sixths.

Lightly brush the bottom of a pie pan with butter. Lay a sheet of phyllo in the pan and press into the sides. Allow any extra that doesn't fit to just hang over the edge. Drip a bit of butter onto the phyllo (it is not necessary to spread it around), then sprinkle some of the nut mixture on top. Repeat, layering four more sheets, leaving off the butter and nut mixture on the last sheet. 

Add the filling on top of the phyllo in the pie pan, coming just up to the level of the top of the pan. 

Fold any overhang from the bottom phyllo layers over the top of the filling, then begin layering another five sheets on top, again sprinkling butter and nut mix between layers. Butter the top layer but do not add nut mixture. Use a sharp knife to trim the excess and tuck the edge of the top crust lightly into the edge. 

Repeat to fill all pie pans.

Cut 2-4 slits into the top of the pies to allow steam to escape, then bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is nicely browned and the pie is hot throughout. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Optionally dust with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

 

Notes

Phyllo can be very finicky, but if you are patient and careful it is worth the effort. Make sure it is completely defrosted before unrolling, then carefully take out the number of sheets you need. Fold or roll the remainder back up, wrap tightly, and refreeze. While working, it helps to keep the sheets that are waiting in the wing between slightly damp towesl, as the biggest problem you will encounter is the sheets quickly drying out.

If making smaller pies, make sure to remove all pies from the pan (even the ones you aren't eating this meal) after cooling to prevent the bottom crust from becoming soggy while sitting in the pie pan.

Once pies that are not being eaten are completely cooled, they can be wrapped and either refrigerated or frozen. To reheat, I recommend using a microwave to heat the filling through, then crisp the pies up in an air fryer, toaster oven, or oven.

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