Recipe - Bestila

One fourth cup Olive oil
2 md Onions; peeled and finely
chopped
12 Cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon Ground ginger
1 pn Saffron threads
Salt and freshly ground
white pepper
2 1pound squabs
3 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
4 teaspoon Orangeflower water
2 Eggs; lightly beaten
3 tablespoon Minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Sugar
Three fourths cup Sliced almonds; toasted and
lightly drushed with a
rilling pin
10 Sheets phyllo dough
Three fourths cup Clarified butter
Confectioners sugar

notes: from Saveur 0398

1)Heat olive oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until
translucent, about 5 minutes. Add cinnamon stick, ginger, saffron, and salt
and pepper to taste. Stir in 1/3 cup water, then place squabs breast side
down in pan. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 30 minutes, turning
once.

2)Remove squabs from pan and set aside to cool. Simmer onion mixture,
uncovered, until pan juices are reduced by half, about 10 minutes. When
squabs are cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin and bones with
your fingers, then finely shred meat. Place meat in a bowl, then stir in 1
tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp orangeflower water. Set squab mixture aside.

3) Whisk eggs into reduced pan juices, then mix in remaining 2 tsp cinnamon
parsley, sugar, remaining 3 tsp orangeflower water, and almonds. Cook
until the eggs have scrambled and absorbed all juices, so that the
consistency is somewhat dry, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set
aside.

4) Place 1 sheet phyllo on a clean surface and brush with butter; place a
second sheet over it and brush with butter. Place buttered sheets centered
over an 8" plate. Repeat phyllo process 3 times, laying each pair of sheets
at an angle over previous sheets to form an irregular bottom crust. Center
squab mixture on crust and top with almond mixture. Prepare remaining 2
phyllo sheets as above and place atop almond mixture. Fold overhanging
bottom sheets over to completely enclose filling. Brush top with clarified
butter.

5) Heat 2 Tbsp clarified butter over medium heat in a nonstick frying pan
large enough to hold bestila. Carefully slide bestila into pan and fry
until sides turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Cover bestila with a large
plate, then carefully flip it over onto a plate. Add remaining 1 Tbsp
butter to pan, slide bestila back into pan on uncooked side, and fry about
another 2 minutes. Slide onto a serving dish, sprinkle all over with
confectioners sugar or in a decorative pattern as shown in photograph at
right, and serve.

Posted to EATL Digest by Valerie L Larson MOOSE10475@AOL.COM on Feb 20,
1998