B’stilla is one of those classic sweet-savoury Moroccan dishes that is an absolute must at any celebration. One of the essential seasonings in the filling is ras el hanout, possibly the most complex of all Middle-Eastern spice blends. Ras el hanout means the ‘head of the shop’, signalling how precious the spice blend is, both because of its price and the fact that it contains up to 30 spices
| Created by | Spinneys |
| Prep time | 45 minutes |
| Cook time | 95 minutes |
| Serves | 6 |
| Cuisine | Arabic |
| Diet | Family Friendly |
| Preparation | Moderate |
| Calories | 688 |
| Fat | 39.5g |
| Saturates | 14.1g |
| Protein | 26.9g |
| Carbs | 57.4g |
| Sugars | 14.4g |
| Given the cook-at-home nature of Spinneys and natural variations in ingredients, nutritional information is approximated. See details | |
Ingredients
Cooking Instructions
Download PDFPreheat the oven to 230°C, gas mark 8.
Chop the onion, parsley and coriander.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan then brown the lamb until golden. Add the onion, parsley and coriander to the lamb along with the cinnamon, ginger, 2 teaspoons of ras el hanout, cayenne, saffron and salt. Sauté for 2 minutes then add the water and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the lamb is soft. Allow to cool.
Place the pistachios on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and finely chop. Mix with 2 tablespoons of icing sugar.
Shred the lamb. If the sauce in the pan is not thick, reduce it over a low heat. Mix the shredded lamb into the sauce.
To assemble the pie, brush 6 sheets of filo with melted butter and lay them on top of each other. Arrange at the bottom of a shallow 30cm round, non-stick baking dish. Spread the chopped pistachios evenly over the pastry. Spread the shredded lamb over the pastry. Brush the remaining sheets of filo with melted butter, lay them on top of each other and then place on top of the meat. Tuck the loose ends inside the tin and under the pie. Brush the top with butter and bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the sweet and sour sultanas by heating 1 tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan over a medium-low heat. Finely slice the shallot and add to the pan. Sauté for 15 minutes or until softened and starting to caramelise. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and cook for a further minute. Add the sultanas and vinegar and simmer for 4-5 minutes until thickened slightly.
Remove the b’stilla from the oven. Dust the top with the icing sugar and the rest of the ras el hanout. Chop the pistachios and scatter over. Top with the sweet and sour sultanas and serve.
