Pie and Pastry Bible (107 page)

EQUIPMENT

Two large cookie sheets or inverted baking sheets, lightly buttered or sprayed with olive oil

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and ricotta cheese until smooth.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and scallions and sauté the scallions for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add this to the ricotta mixture. Add the drained cooked spinach, the cheeses, dill, salt, and pepper. Whisk until well combined. Taste to adjust the seasoning. (There will be about 3
cups/ 28 ounces/794 grams of filling.)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the top level before preheating.

ASSEMBLE THE TRIANGLES

Lay the stack of fillo on the counter and keep it well covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel to prevent drying. Remove 1 sheet of fillo and place it on the work surface. Brush it lightly with the butter, using about 1 teaspoon, starting around the edges where it will dry out the most quickly and then dappling it lightly all over (or spray it lightly with olive oil). Place a second sheet of fillo over the first. Brush it lightly with butter (or spray it lightly with olive oil). With a sharp knife and a long ruler, cut it lengthwise into 4 strips. Place a rounded tablespoon of the spinach/cheese mixture near the bottom of each strip. To shape each triangle, fold the bottom of the dough over by lifting the right corner and bringing it to the left edge so that it partially covers the filling (the next fold will cover the filling completely). Continue folding the strip, as though folding a flag, and always maintaining the triangle. Tuck under or trim the end. Place the finished triangle seam side down on a greased cookie sheet and brush the tops lightly with butter. Repeat with the remaining filling and fillo, placing the triangles about ½ inch apart.

Bake the spanakopita for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and the filling sizzles. Serve hot or warm. (Reheat baked spanakopita in a preheated 300°F. oven for 7 minutes.)

STORE

Unbaked, refrigerated, up to 24 hours; frozen, up to 3 months. To freeze, wrap each cookie sheet with plastic wrap and then foil, or freeze the triangles on the baking sheets until hard, then transfer to a container.

MOROCCAN BISTEEYA TRIANGLES

I
adore the classic Moroccan pie of pigeon and cinnamon-scented custard in fillo, but I prefer this appetizer-size version because the crisp fillo is a better balance to the filling than when it is prepared as one large pie. It is neater to serve and you get a bite of crisp fillo with every bite of filling.

Pigeon, or squab, offers a richer flavor, but using all dark chicken meat is almost as delicious. Most recipes for bisteeya call for almonds, but my research revealed that peanuts, which grow in Africa, are also traditional. I find their flavor even more compatible and interesting in the dish.

Although wrapping three dozen triangles can be a little time-consuming, using olive oil spray and fresh fillo, which does not stick together, makes them a snap to prepare.

EQUIPMENT

Two large cookie sheets or inverted baking sheets, lightly buttered or sprayed with olive oil

Rinse and dry the squab and chicken; rub them all over with the garlic and 1 teaspoon of the oil. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 24 hours.

Heat a medium Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil. Remove and reserve the garlic from the squab and chicken, and season them with the salt and black pepper. Place the squab and chicken in the pot and cook, turning to brown, until the fat is rendered and the fowl has a light golden color. Add the reserved garlic and sauté it for 30 seconds. Add the onion, spices, and parsley, then add the broth and water, adding more water if necessary to cover. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for about 1 hour or until the meat falls from the bones.

Remove the squab and chicken from the pot and allow them to cool. Add the currants to the braising liquid and reduce to 1 to 1
cups, about 20 minutes. It will be very thick. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and parsley.

Remove all meat from the chicken and squab and chop it into ¼-inch pieces. (You may include or discard the skin, according to your preference.) (There will be about 2½ cups/10.5 ounces/298 grams.)

Whisk the eggs until frothy and add them to the broth. Turn the heat to low and whisk until it forms a curdy consistency, about 1 minute. Stir all the meat into the pot and adjust the seasonings. Spoon the mixture into a bowl to cool to room temperature, or refrigerate it for up to 12 hours. (There will be about 3
cups of filling.) When cool, chop and stir in the cilantro.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. at least 20 minutes before the baking. Set an oven rack at the top level before preheating.

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 375°F. • BAKING TIME: 15 TO 20 MINUTES MAKES: ABOUT 3 DOZEN TRIANGLES
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
1 squab		14 ounces	397 grams
1 chicken leg and thigh		9.25 ounces	262 grams
1 clove garlic, chopped fine		•	•
olive oil	2 teaspoons, divided	•	•
salt	approx. ½ teaspoon	•	•
freshly ground black pepper	teaspoon	•	•
coarsely grated white onion	½ cup	2.5 ounces	71 grams
cinnamon stick	stick	•	•
bay leaf	1 small	•	•
saffron	teaspoon	•	•
turmeric	teaspoon	•	•
cayenne pepper	a pinch	•	•
paprika	teaspoon	•	•
parsley, preferably flat-leaf	approx. 6 sprigs		7 grams
chicken broth, preferably no salt added	one 15-ounce can	15 ounces	425 grams
water	1 liquid cup	8.3 ounces	236 grams
currants	¼ cup	approx. 1 ounce	33 grams
2 large eggs	3 fluid ounces	3.5 ounces 100 grams (weighed without the shells)
cilantro	approx. 6 sprigs	approx. 0.25 ounce	8 grams
fillo, preferably fresh (see page 365)	18 to 20 sheets	approx. 1 pound	approx. 454 grams
melted butter, preferably clarified (see page 629), or olive oil spray	8 tablespoons	4 ounces	114 grams
unsalted peanuts or sliced almonds, toasted and finely chopped	cup	1.5 ounces	40 grams
powdered sugar	1 teaspoon	•	•
ground cinnamon	1 teaspoon	•	•