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Total Time:
2 hrs 15 mins
Pinch of saffron
- 500 ml
Hot chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp.
Olive oil
- 750 g
Chicken thigh fillets
- 2
Red onions, finely chopped
- 3
Fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp.
ras el hanout spice blend
- 1/2 tsp.
Ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp.
Ground cumin
- 100 g
Dried apricots, roughly chopped
- 3
Medium eggs, beaten
- 100 g
Pistachio kernels, roughly chopped
Small handful parsley, roughly chopped
- 75 g
Butter, melted
- 6
Filo sheets
- Step 1Add the saffron to the hot chicken stock and leave to infuse. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Fry the chicken until brown all over (you may need to do this in batches). Lift into a bowl. Lower the heat to medium and cook the onions and a pinch of salt in the pan until softened and lightly golden, about 10min.
- Step 2Add the garlic, ginger and spices and cook for a further 2min. Pour in the infused stock and return the chicken to the pan with the apricots and some seasoning. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 20min until the chicken is cooked through. Lift out the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside. Return pan to the heat and boil to reduce by half, about 10min. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken.
- Step 3Add the eggs to the liquid and cook over a low heat, stirring, until they resemble lightly scrambled eggs, about 4-5min. Return the shredded chicken to the pan and stir through the pistachios, orange zest and parsley. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Step 4Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Lightly brush a 20.5cm (8in) round cake tin (either springform or loose-bottomed) with some of the melted butter. Brush the top of a filo sheet with butter and press into the tin. Repeat with a further 3 sheets, rotating them so the base and sides of the tin are completely covered – leave excess hanging over top of tin.
- Step 5Spoon in the chicken filling and smooth to level. Cut remaining two filo sheets into rough circles just larger than 20.5cm (8in) - use your cake tin base as a guide. Brush top of each with butter, then layer up. Place on top of the filling (butter-side up), then scrunch in the overhanging filo and brush with remaining butter. Place tin on a baking sheet to catch any escaping butter.
- Step 6Cook for about 45min until golden, covering the top with aluminium foil if getting to brown. Leave to stand for 10min in tin before removing from tin and serving.
Get ahead
Prepare to end of step 3 up to a day ahead. Cover and chill. Complete recipe to serve.
Per serving:
Calories: 604
Protein: 34g
Fat: 39g
Saturates: 12g
Carbs 27g
Total sugars: 12g total sugars
Fibre: 5g
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An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
