Moroccan Chicken Bundles

Description

These Moroccan-Style Chicken phyllo rolls have the delicious mix of Moroccan spices including cumin, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon. These are great served with Spiced tomato Dipping Sauce - Moroccan Style. They are a bit time consuming, but well worth it. This recipe is from another site, but was originally from Gourmet Magazine and is loosely based on b'stilla (a traditional Moroccan dish of shredded Chicken simmered with Moroccan spices and then mixed with egg and nuts).

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pinch salt
• ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1¼ lbs chicken thighs, with skin and bones
• ¾ cup chicken broth
• ½ cup water
• 1 cinnamon stick (3 inch)
• ¼ sliced almonds, toasted,cooled and coarsely chopped
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 8 phyllo pastry sheets, thawed (17" x 12")
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds

Directions

1. Cook onion in oil with salt, cumin, ginger, turmeric, pepper and coriander in large heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until onion has softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add chicken, broth, water and cinnamon stick and simmer, covered, turning chicken over once, until meat is very tender, about 45 minutes.
3. Transfer chicken to a bowl, reserving cooking liquid.
4. Remove skin and bones from chicken, then shred chicken either by hand or by pulsing in food processor and place in a large bowl.
5. Place cooking liquid in a 2 cup glass measure and let stand 1 minute and then skim off fat and discard cinnamon stick.
6. Return liquid to saucepan and simmer over medium heat uncovered until liquid has reduced to about ¼ cup (approximately 8 minutes) (liquid will look like a glaze in the bottom of the pan).
7. Stir in shredded chicken and almonds.
8. Reserve 2 tbsp of beaten egg for egg wash.
9. Lightly season remainder of egg with salt and pepper, then cook over medium heat with ½ tbsp butter until just set, but still slightly soft.
10. Stir egg into chicken filling.
11. Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
12. Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface, keeping remainder of phyllo covered with plastic wrap and damp kitchen towels.
13. Brush sheet generously with melted butter and then evenly sift ¼ tsp cinnamon over buttered phyllo.
14. Top with a second phyllo sheet and generously brush with butter.
15. Halve buttered phyllo stack crosswise, then arrange one half with long side nearest you.
16. Spread ¼ cup of chicken mixture in a narrow strip along edge closest to you and roll up filling tightly in phyllo, leaving ends open.
17. Transfer roll, seam down to a cutting board set inside a baking pan (this will help contain mustard seeds when sprinkling).
18. Make 6 more rolls in same manner.
19. Lightly brush top of rolls with egg wash and immediately sprinkle with mustard seeds, pressing lightly on seeds to help them adhere.
20. Cut each roll crosswise into 4 pieces and arrange 1 inch apart on baking sheets.
21. Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until phyllo is golden brown, approximately 12 minutes then transfer rolls to rack to cool slightly.

Note

Rolls can be assembled (but not coated or cut) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. OR Rolls can be assembled and cut (but not coated or baked) 2 weeks ahead and frozen, wrapped well in plastic wrap.

Coat frozen rolls, then bake in preheated 350°F over for about 20 minutes or so.