(Serves 12)
2 3lb Fryer chickens (or 1 5lb stewing hen cut into ½'s)
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tblsp ground cinnamon
2 tblsp turmeric
1 tsp allspice
½ tsp mace
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp thyme
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
2 cups apricot nectar
3 cups apple juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
12 eggs, beaten
3 tblsp unsalted butter
1 cup almonds, chopped + blanched
2 tblsp powdered sugar
32 sheets phyllo dough
¾ to 1lb unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Ground cinnamon for garnish
Instructions
Place chicken pieces into stockpot. Add garlic, onion, 2 tsp of cinnamon, turmeric, allspice, mace, cloves, coriander, cumin, thyme, parsley, apricot nectar, apple juice, salt and pepper. If necessary, add a little water to barely cover the chicken. Bring to a boil and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to a simmer (low), cover and cook until the chicken is very tender and falls off the bone. (about 2-3 hours) Remove from heat, cool chicken in stock. Remove chicken and discard the bones and skin. Cut or shred the chicken into small pieces. Put aside.
Strain the cooled stock into a sauce pan over high heat and reduce to about 2 cups. Add the eggs, reduce the heat to a low simmer, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until the eggs are thick & creamy, now reduce until all of the moisture is evaperated. (about 15 minutes) Remove from heat. Remove the egg mixture and set aside.
Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the almonds and cook until the almonds are golden. Cool and combine almonds with the powdered sugar and remaining 1 tsp cinnamon.
Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a flat work surface. Keep remaining sheets covered with a damp cloth. Using a wide pastry brush, brush lightly the phyllo sheet with the cooled butter to cover it completely. Top the phyllo sheet with a second phyllo sheet, placed at a 45º angle to the first sheet. Brush with butter and repeat until you use 8 sheets of phyllo dough and they form a circle of dough. Make a second stack of 8 buttered sheets in the same manner.
Reserve ½ of the almond mixture. Sprinkle ½ of the almond mixture on each stack of phyllo dough, forming a 8 inch circle in the middle of each stack. Cover each circle of nuts with ½ the reserved chicken. Now equally divide the remaining egg mixture in ½ and cover the chicken fillings, then top off the eggs with the remaining almond mixture equally divided amongst the two sheet stacks.
Bring one side of the phyllo up and over to cover as much of the filling as possible and brush the top of the dough with butter. Bring the remaining sides up and around, one at time, overlapping and buttering as you go, until all sides have been folded over the filling. Repeat with the second stack of phyllo.
Preheat oven to 375° .
Brush 1 phyllo sheet with butter and lay it over the top of a filled phyllo pie. Butter and overlay 7 more sheets, positioning them to form a circle over the filled pie. Butter the underside of a section of the top stack and fold it down under the pie, continue buttering and overlapping to form a slightly hexagonal shape.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Decorate with powdered sugar and cinnamon.