OVERVIEW
Folding over the filo pastry is a tremendously satisfying thing to do, but it is fiddly. Pastilla are extremely versatile and will hoover up almost any leftovers: chicken, lamb and goat are favourites, but roasted vegetables also work.
MAKE THE FILLING
Make the filling before lighting the EGG.
Heat the oil in a pan on the stove, add the onions and fry for about 10 minutes or until soft and beginning to brown. Add the garlic, ras el hanout, saffron if using, and half the cinnamon, and fry for 1 minute more.
Add the meat and stock and season with salt and pepper to taste, then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the meat is piping hot. Add the dried fruit, honey and nuts, then add the eggs and gently cook until the mixture just starts to resemble scrambled eggs. Add the herbs and put to one side.
FORM A PIE
Take a sheet of filo pastry and brush it with a little melted butter. Drape it over a baking dish or Non-Stick Drip Pan, gently pushing it into the edges. Repeat with another sheet of filo, this time placing it at a right angle to the first. Repeat with the next 2 sheets of filo to form a large pastry case with no tears.
Spoon the meat mixture into the centre of the pastry, then wrap the pastry edges over the meat to make a pie. Lay the final sheet on top, brush with butter and tuck in any corners.
TO FINISH
Place the dish on the hot Baking Stone, close the lid and cook for about 25–30 minutes until the pastry is a crisp and golden brown.
Remove and allow to cool a little before sifting over the icing sugar and the rest of the cinnamon. Drizzle with a bit more honey to serve.
Extracted from Cooking on the Big Green Egg (Quadrille, £25) Photography © Sam Folan
