Bastilla - the Moroccan Way

My latest culinary endeavor was dreamed alive after a friend and I went to a Moroccan restaurant for dinner. While the entire meal was fantastic, I was blown away by a dish called Bastilla. Friend even asked the waiter how to pronounce it correctly. Apparently the double L does not make a Y sound like in Spanish.

Anyway, we embarked on our Bastilla mission as soon as we arrived back at Friend's apartment. We googled recipe after recipe. None that we found seemed like it could really be for the amazingness we just ate. But alas, you should never judge a dish by its recipe.

Ingredients:

- Phyllo Dough

- 1 bag Sliced Almonds

- Chicken Breasts (5 or 6 maybe?)

- 8 eggs

- 1 Onion

- 1/2 cup sugar

- cinnamon

- ginger

- pepper

- salt

- some melted butter

You will also need:

- Large oven-safe frying pan (you can put tin foil over a plastic handle and it still works fine)

- Food processor or blender

- Large Bowl

1. Boil chicken and onion in a pot of water that just covers the chicken for 45 mins to 1 hour. Also make sure your cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper are added before boiling. Spices are to taste, but don't worry if you use too little, there's a chance later to add more.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Cut up the chicken into small-ish pieces when tender. Put in a bowl. Set aside.
4. Scramble all 8 eggs with 1/3 cup of the water from the chicken. Cook them but make sure you don't over cook them. They will be baked later.
5. While cooking eggs, use a blender or food processor to grind up the almonds, sugar, and some cinnamon.
6. When eggs are done, add to the chicken mixture. I recommend putting the mixture into the food processor but it is not necessary.
7. Start to layer Phyllo dough in the pan. The dough should cover the bottom and start to go up the sides to fold over later.
8. Layer in the chicken mixture, then almond mixture, then more phyllo dough until you run out of mixtures. The faster you do this the better so the dough doesn't dry out.
9. Fold the dough over the top and "seal" it all together with melted butter.
10. Bake for 30 minutes
11. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar and cinnamon

I know it all sounds unconventional, but it tastes superb! It is the perfect mix of sweet and savory!