Chicken B'Steeya recipe Holiday food from Africa, B'stilla, a traditional Moroccan recipe

Chicken B'steeya  B'stilla, a traditional Moroccan recipe

INGREDIENTS

• As some of you already know I am living in a Rehab center. I have been here almost 30 days. Today I spent most of the day isolating though I have been very social here.  I read a book. I did get dressed and do my PT. I exercised some extra and drank a lot of water as I was retaining water this morning and gained 9 extra pounds. Before the day was out I had lost most of it.  I went out to eat yesterday and did not think about it much but it was a buffet and too much salt.  I love this recipe. It was given to me by my aide who is from Africa and they fix this on special occasions she tells me. I had my daughter make it for me and oh is it good. 
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• 1 whole roaster chicken, about 4 pounds, cut into 8 pieces
• Coarse salt
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, plus 1/2 cup melted (1 1/2 sticks total)
• 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 3/4 cups blanched whole almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/4 cup orange-flower water
• 1 package (17 ounces) store-bought phyllo dough

DIRECTIONS

1. Put chicken and 1/3 cup salt in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Mix chicken, onion, garlic, saffron, ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 cup parsley, and 1/4 cup cilantro in a large bowl; cover, and refrigerate overnight.
2. Transfer chicken mixture to a medium-heavy pot. Add enough water to cover (about 4 cups). Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Add 1/4 cup butter; cover, and simmer until chicken is falling off the bone, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, adding water to cover if necessary. Transfer chicken to a plate; let cool. Reserve poaching liquid. Remove meat from bones and shred; discard skin and bones. Set chicken aside.
3. Bring reserved poaching liquid to a boil over high heat; cook until reduced to 3/4 cup. Reduce heat to medium high. Slowly add eggs; whisk constantly until mixture is almost set, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup parsley, 1/4 cup cilantro, and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
4. Stir together almonds, sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 13-inch paella or pizza pan with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Stir together remaining melted butter and the orange-flower water in small bowl. Assemble B'steeya: Brush a sheet of phyllo with butter mixture. Put in pan, leaving a 4-inch overhang. Repeat, adding and buttering 7 more sheets of phyllo, overlapping layers and fanning out around pan. (Keep unbuttered phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel.)
6. Arrange chicken mixture over dough. Pour in egg mixture. Top with 5 layers phyllo brushed with butter mixture. Sprinkle with almond mixture. Fold up edges of phyllo to enclose. Top with 5 layers phyllo brushed with butter mixture; tuck edges inside pan. Slightly crinkle 2 unbuttered phyllo over top. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.