Friday, January 28, 2011

Chicken B'Stilla for French Fridays with Dorie

I first had chicken b'stilla at a Moroccan restaurant in D.C. many, many ... okay, many ...  years ago, and (culinary naif that I was) I thought it was quite the exotic dish. For one thing, I had never before experienced cinnamon in a savory preparation, something I now know is fairly common to many North African and Middle Eastern cuisines. For another thing, the fragrant herbs and spices, particularly the saffron, were not tastes that I was used to.

Alas, shortly after I ate there, I heard a rumor (from a very reliable source!)  that  - how shall I put it? is this a family blog? - certain types of explicit adult films were shot in the very same restaurant space after hours. I'm no prude, but the visual of what may or may not have been occurring on the very table upon which I had blissfully and innocently enjoyed my b'stilla was enough to prevent me from ever going back.

I've ordered the dish once or twice in other places since that time, but I've always been underwhelmed by the seasoning and/or the presentation.  That exciting flavor from my first taste of chicken b'stilla has, so far, remained elusive.

That is, until I made the recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table. Today is, hands down, my very favorite French Friday with Dorie to date, as it gave me the kick in the pants I needed to make something that has lingered in the mind's eye of my taste buds for all these years.

I changed very little, except to temper my eggs before adding them to the sauce in order to avoid some sort of wretched North African egg drop soup fusion that I was unprepared to explore. I served it with a carrot and fennel salad that I'll share in a future post. I had extra filling so I put it in a mini casserole and topped it with a filo crust.

Happy French Friday - if you'd like join the group, just pick up a copy of the cookbook and start cooking along. A bientot!





33 comments:

  1. Oh Trix wasn't this amazing! Only you could work in a story like that to introduce a recipe! Nice work!

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  2. And yet, such a story would entice ME to go back! lol. Perhaps even after hours! Beautiful. I'm gonna try to get back to this one this weekend. It will be late but this was one I didn't want to let slip by.

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  3. Wow great 'inappropriate' story from the resto, I could see how going back would be a turn off. But I know also how good this dish is and now I want to make some. Looks great!

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  4. What was the health inspector rating on the door? Just curious! You at least knew the geographic origin of this one. Your dish and photos, so inspiring, Trixie!

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  5. Isn't it great when you make something that's been niggling at you for ages??? SOmething great or a near miss you were sure you could make better. Good for you on the b'istilla... I've had a few great ones but have never made it myself. Guess I really need to get this cookbook... since you tantalized without a recipe!!! WIcked girl. The photo was spectacular, Trix, and the story... well that would put me off my food too... what don't they get up to making those movies???

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  6. J'adore your french Frydays!!!Hugs and have a fantastic weekend, Flavia

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  7. Boy you are on a blogging roll so glad to see you back regularly.. missed you... this flakey pastry looks fabulous! What a great read as well! nice job chicky!

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  8. One of my favorite dishes, too. Love how it has the "ooooooo" factor. Beautiful dish!

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  9. I love Dorie's version of Moroccan chicken bstilla. You did a beautiful job with it!

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  10. Ha! You are too funny. Loved the post. I totally loved the dish too. Don't think I'd want to eat at that restaurant...Maybe just for kicks. B:)

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  11. nice piece sweetie, er, recipe and post... you have certainly come a long way my friend, the photo is just perfection and look at that crust, beautiful, flaky, one would only dream of making such... and most important, chicken... bet you didn't see that coming a year ago...

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  12. I hope it wasn't at the table that I used to dance on! This looks delish... Thanks for sharing both the recipe and the posting...

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  13. Funny story about the restaurant. Yeah, I think that would do me in for going back... Glad you were able to get past it to try out the dish.

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  14. Funny! We loved this one too- yours is gorgeous!

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  15. What a funny story! I will not want to eat at that restaurant.

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  16. You know I've had b'stilla in my to-do list for years??? And I've never even tried a real one... sigh. Yours looks terrific.

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  17. Your b'stilla looks terrific. Glad that it met and maybe even exceeded your expectations. The flavors were unusual but great.

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  18. Great post! Thank you for the laugh. :) The b'stilla looks wonderful.

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  19. I love b'stilla and made it oh, 25 years ago! I never made it again, why is a mystery to me! I even bought and cherish a book by Paula Wolfert on Morocco and she has in it a very thorough recipe for it including the actual dough! Yours looks supremely elegant.

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  20. This bstilla looks so flaky and delicate! Thank goodness you don't have to go back to that restaurant to enjoy this dish.

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  21. Too funny! Your b'stilla looks perfect!

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  22. I never actually heard of this dish before, but it sounds really good. I've occasionally tried using cinnamon in savory dishes (it's in a Jewish-Venetian fried chicken dish, for example, on my blog) and it can be very nice. As you say, very Near/Middle Eastern.

    Beautiful photo, by the way. I wish I could do that!

    And as far as the story goes, LOL! Actually, they say food and sex go together, so why not?

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  23. Your chicken b'stilla recipe is sexy even without the restaurant story, but it is a nice colorful addition to your post. I like all the French Friday posts, they really are quite inspirational. Your photographs are beautiful and the b'stilla is a beauty:-)

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  24. B'stilla my heart! That's what I thought when I saw your dish. Loved your semi-x-rated intro to the recipe. Food always tastes better when there's a bit of risqué involved! Haaa... can't believe I just said that ;-)). Ok, yes I can.

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  25. Oh boy! I don't care how good the food was - I would think twice about going back too LOL I've only contemplated making B'stilla because I thought powdered sugar, eggs and cinnamon was a strange combination with pigeon though I would definitely try it if someone else made it. Yours looks absolutely gorgeous though!

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  26. bwahaha, i loled! i agree, no matter how good the food, i would not be frequenting a "restaurant" that had closed after hours activities such as that. the dish, however, looks amazing! i love the flavor combinations of Moroccan cuisine and the depth and richness of their spices. i'll have to give this dish a try.

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  27. Are you serious with this?

    This is perfection. I swear, we might as well run away together like now.

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  28. This looks very delicious with those flaky pastry. I can just imagine every bit...must be heavenly...mmmm.

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  29. Beautiful dish! I missed this week, but am enjoying all the lovely FFwD posts and photos. Too funny about that restaurant...ewwww.

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  30. Well, for those of you who find the (alleged!) activities at that restaurant to be ... um ... an appetite enhancer ... email me and I'll tell you the name of the place so you can check it out! lol.

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  31. Hehehe Yeah, I dont think I would be going back to that restaurant. I will be making your recipe. Yum!

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  32. I wouldn't want to go back either, but at least you did get to enjoy your b'stilla in bliss! Your creation here looks absolutely beautiful.

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  33. i live in DC now! may i ask where you had this? also, love your blog and this recipe looks AMAZING!
    thanks for posting :)
    -meg
    @ http://www.clutzycooking.blogspot.com
    @
    http://www.myscribblednotebook.blogspot.com

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