🥧 Pigeon Pastilla (Bastilla)

Name: Pigeon Pastilla (Bastilla)
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Morocco · Fez
Ingredients: 4 pigeons (or 1 kg poussin), jointed; 2 onions, grated; 1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to dust; Pinch of saffron, 1 tsp ginger; 5 eggs, beaten; 200 g almonds, toasted and chopped; 4 tbsp sugar, plus icing sugar to dust; 12 sheets phyllo; 4 tbsp oil for brushing

Origin: Morocco · Fez

490kcal

per serving · 200 g

245kcal

per 100 g

24 gProtein12 g / 100 g

26 gFat13 g / 100 g

40 gCarbs20 g / 100 g

Pigeon pastilla is the traditional version of Morocco's celebrated pie: thin, crisp layers of pastry wrapped around pigeon cooked with onions and spices, a layer of soft scrambled egg and a sweet crunch of toasted almonds with sugar and cinnamon. The top is dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon, giving a striking sweet-savoury contrast.

Diets

✓

No porkfor halal, the meat must be halal-slaughtered

Not vegetarianbecause of: pigeon

Not veganbecause of: pigeon, egg

Contains glutenbecause of: phyllo pastry

Contains dairyno milk, cheese, butter or yogurt in a typical recipe

Not keto20 g carbs per 100 g

Allergens

Contains (in a typical recipe):

⚠ Gluten ⚠ Eggs ⚠ Milk ⚠ Tree nuts

What it is made of

phyllo pastrypigeonalmondeggcinnamonsugar

Recipe

6 servings150 min

Ingredients

4 pigeons (or 1 kg poussin), jointed
2 onions, grated
1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to dust
Pinch of saffron, 1 tsp ginger
5 eggs, beaten
200 g almonds, toasted and chopped
4 tbsp sugar, plus icing sugar to dust
12 sheets phyllo
4 tbsp oil for brushing

Method

Simmer the pigeons with onion, ginger, saffron, cinnamon and a little oil and water for about 1 hour, until tender.
Lift out the birds and shred the meat, discarding bones.
Reduce the cooking liquid, then stir in the eggs over low heat until softly set.
Mix the almonds with sugar and a little cinnamon.
Layer oiled phyllo in a round tin, add the egg mixture, the meat and the almonds, then fold over and top with more phyllo.
Brush with oil and bake at 190 °C for 25–30 minutes until golden; dust with icing sugar and cinnamon in a lattice.

How to make it lighter

A slice of about 150–200 g is plenty; serve with a green salad.
Brush the phyllo lightly: 1 tbsp oil ≈ 120 kcal, so a thin coat goes a long way.
Halve the almond-sugar layer and skip the icing sugar dusting for a less sweet pie.

History

Pastilla (bastilla or bstilla) is a festive dish of Moroccan cuisine, traditionally served at weddings and celebrations, especially in Fez. Its blend of sweet and savoury is often linked to Andalusian influences brought to Morocco by people who left Iberia, though the exact origins are not documented.

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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →