Moroccan Chicken Bundles

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pinch salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 1/4 lbs chicken thighs, with skin and bones
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cinnamon stick (3 inch)
• 1/4 sliced almonds, toasted,cooled and coarsely chopped
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 8 phyllo pastry sheets, thawed (17" x 12")
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds

Recipe

• 1 cook onion in oil with salt, cumin, ginger, turmeric, pepper and coriander in large heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until onion has softened, about 5 minutes.
• 2 add chicken, broth, water and cinnamon stick and simmer, covered, turning chicken over once, until meat is very tender, about 45 minutes.
• 3 transfer chicken to a bowl, reserving cooking liquid.
• 4 remove skin and bones from chicken, then shred chicken either by hand or by pulsing in food processor and place in a large bowl.
• 5 place cooking liquid in a 2 cup glass measure and let stand 1 minute and then skim off fat and discard cinnamon stick.
• 6 return liquid to saucepan and simmer over medium heat uncovered until liquid has reduced to about 1/4 cup (approximately 8 minutes) (liquid will look like a glaze in the bottom of the pan).
• 7 stir in shredded chicken and almonds.
• 8 reserve 2 tbsp of beaten egg for egg wash.
• 9 lightly season remainder of egg with salt and pepper, then cook over medium heat with 1/2 tbsp butter until just set, but still slightly soft.
• 10 stir egg into chicken filling.
• 11 put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
• 12 place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface, keeping remainder of phyllo covered with plastic wrap and damp kitchen towels.
• 13 brush sheet generously with melted butter and then evenly sift 1/4 tsp cinnamon over buttered phyllo.
• 14 top with a second phyllo sheet and generously brush with butter.
• 15 halve buttered phyllo stack crosswise, then arrange one half with long side nearest you.
• 16 spread 1/4 cup of chicken mixture in a narrow strip along edge closest to you and roll up filling tightly in phyllo, leaving ends open.
• 17 transfer roll, seam down to a cutting board set inside a baking pan (this will help contain mustard seeds when sprinkling).
• 18 make 6 more rolls in same manner.
• 19 lightly brush top of rolls with egg wash and immediately sprinkle with mustard seeds, pressing lightly on seeds to help them adhere.
• 20 cut each roll crosswise into 4 pieces and arrange 1 inch apart on baking sheets.
• 21 bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until phyllo is golden brown, approximately 12 minutes then transfer rolls to rack to cool slightly.
• 22 note: rolls can be assembled (but not coated or cut) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• 23 or rolls can be assembled and cut (but not coated or baked) 2 weeks ahead and frozen, wrapped well in plastic wrap.
• 24 coat frozen rolls, then bake in preheated 350 over for about 20 minutes or so.