The Warqa Legacy: Pastry as Palace Art

Fassi Chicken Bastilla with Toasted Almonds, Cinnamon, and Orange Blossom

• 1.4kg whole chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
• 180g white onion, grated on a box grater
• 60ml olive oil
• 1g saffron threads, bloomed in 3 tbsp warm water for 15 min
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon (divided: 1 tsp for filling, ½ tsp for topping)
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• Small bunch flat-leaf parsley (about 20g), finely chopped
• Small bunch fresh coriander (about 20g), finely chopped
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 240g blanched almonds
• 30ml vegetable oil (for frying almonds)
• 60g icing sugar (divided: 40g for filling, 20g for topping)
• 2 tbsp orange blossom water
• 14 sheets warqa or brick pastry (each approx. 30cm diameter)
• 60g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 egg yolk, beaten (for sealing)
• Extra icing sugar and cinnamon for finishing dust

1. 01

   STEP 1 — In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the chicken pieces, grated onion, olive oil, bloomed saffron with its water, ginger, white pepper, 1 tsp cinnamon, and salt. Set over medium heat and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, turning the chicken to coat it fully. The onion will release its water and the pan will fill with a pale, sharp steam — this is normal.

2. 02

   STEP 2 — Add 120ml of water, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and braise for 45 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and falling from the bone. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside to cool. Continue reducing the braising liquid over medium heat, uncovered, for 8–10 minutes until it thickens to a coating consistency.

3. 03

   STEP 3 — Add the beaten eggs to the reduced braising liquid over low heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon for 4–5 minutes until the eggs scramble softly and absorb the liquid — you want moist, barely-set curds, not dry scrambled eggs. Remove from heat immediately, stir in the chopped parsley and coriander, and set aside to cool.

4. 04

   STEP 4 — Fry the blanched almonds in the vegetable oil over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3–4 minutes until golden. The moment they turn the color of pale honey, remove them with a slotted spoon — they continue cooking off the heat. Drain on paper towel, cool completely, then pulse in a food processor 6–8 times until coarsely crushed (not powdered). Mix with 40g icing sugar, the remaining ½ tsp cinnamon, and orange blossom water.

5. 05

   STEP 5 — When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones in medium shreds — not too fine. Discard all bones and skin.

6. 06

   STEP 6 — Preheat your oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Brush a 28cm round baking tin or oven-safe skillet generously with melted butter.

7. 07

   STEP 7 — Lay 6 sheets of warqa into the tin, overlapping them so they cover the base and hang over the edge by about 10cm all around. Brush each sheet lightly with melted butter as you lay it. The overlapping sheets will form a rough circular base.

8. 08

   STEP 8 — Spread the almond mixture evenly across the warqa base. Layer the shredded chicken over the almonds. Spoon the egg and herb mixture evenly over the chicken.

9. 09

   STEP 9 — Fold the overhanging warqa sheets up and over the filling to enclose it. Lay 4 more sheets across the top, tucking their edges under the parcel. Brush with beaten egg yolk. Add a final 4 sheets on top, brush again with egg yolk, and tuck all edges neatly underneath.

10. 10

    STEP 10 — Bake for 25–30 minutes until the top is deep golden and the pastry sounds hollow when you tap it lightly with your knuckle. Allow to rest in the tin for 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter. Dust immediately with icing sugar, then draw crisscross lines of cinnamon across the surface using a small sieve. Serve within 10 minutes.

Pigeon Bastilla in the Palace Style (Bastilla bel Hmam)

• 4 whole squab pigeons (each approx. 350g), cleaned
• 200g white onion, grated
• 70ml olive oil
• 1.5g saffron threads, bloomed in 4 tbsp warm water
• 1½ tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1½ tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 30g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 20g fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 8 large eggs, beaten
• 250g blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely crushed
• 50g icing sugar, plus extra for finishing
• 1½ tbsp ground cinnamon (for almond layer and topping)
• 14 sheets warqa or brick pastry
• 70g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

1. 01

   STEP 1 — In a large, wide pot, combine the pigeons, grated onion, olive oil, bloomed saffron, ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, white pepper, salt, turmeric, and cinnamon stick. Turn the pigeons to coat. Set over medium heat and cook uncovered for 8 minutes. The onion will stick slightly to the bottom — this is where much of the flavor lives.

2. 02

   STEP 2 — Add 180ml of water, cover, and reduce heat to low. Braise for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, turning the pigeons every 20 minutes, until the meat pulls easily from the carcass. The braising liquid should be dark amber and intensely aromatic at this point — the saffron, ginger, and rendered pigeon fat will have merged into something close to a fortified stock.

3. 03

   STEP 3 — Remove the pigeons and cool for at least 15 minutes until handleable. Pull all meat from the bones in medium pieces — include the thigh and breast dark meat. Discard carcasses, skin, and cinnamon stick.

4. 04

   STEP 4 — Skim the excess fat from the braising liquid. Reduce over medium heat for 6 minutes until syrupy. Add beaten eggs and cook over low heat, stirring steadily for 5–6 minutes, until soft curds form. Fold in parsley and coriander off the heat.

5. 05

   STEP 5 — Mix crushed almonds with 50g icing sugar and 1 tbsp ground cinnamon.

6. 06

   STEP 6 — Preheat oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Butter a 30cm round tin generously. Assemble exactly as in the chicken bastilla method (Recipe 1, Steps 7–9), layering almonds first, then pigeon, then egg mixture. Seal, brush with egg yolk, and bake 28–32 minutes until deeply golden.

7. 07

   STEP 7 — Invert onto a platter. Dust with icing sugar and trace a geometric pattern in cinnamon across the surface — palace presentations traditionally used a star or diamond grid. Serve within 10 minutes of inverting.

Seafood Bastilla with Vermicelli, Chermoula, and Saffron Cream

• 300g raw tiger prawns, peeled and deveined
• 300g firm white fish fillet (monkfish or sea bass), cut into 3cm pieces
• 200g cleaned squid rings
• 3 tbsp chermoula (garlic, cumin, paprika, fresh coriander, lemon — blended)
• 80g dried vermicelli noodles
• 1g saffron threads, bloomed in 3 tbsp warm water
• 200ml double cream
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp ground white pepper
• 30g unsalted butter (for cooking seafood)
• 12 sheets warqa or brick pastry
• 60g unsalted butter, melted (for assembly)
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 30g icing sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon for finishing

1. 01

   STEP 1 — Toss the prawns, fish, and squid with the chermoula. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

2. 02

   STEP 2 — Cook the vermicelli in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.

3. 03

   STEP 3 — In a wide pan, melt 30g butter over medium-high heat until it foams. Add the marinated seafood in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes without stirring — you want color on the prawns, not steam. Turn and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat immediately; the seafood should be about 80% cooked at this stage. It will finish in the oven.

4. 04

   STEP 4 — In a small saucepan, combine the bloomed saffron and cream over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce for 4 minutes until the cream coats the back of a spoon and turns pale gold. Season with lemon juice, salt, and white pepper.

5. 05

   STEP 5 — Preheat oven to 195°C (fan 175°C). Butter a 28cm round tin. Lay 6 warqa sheets into the base, overlapping and draping over the edge, brushing each with melted butter.

6. 06

   STEP 6 — Spread the cooked vermicelli across the warqa base. Arrange the partially cooked seafood evenly over the noodles. Pour the saffron cream slowly over everything — it will settle into the layers.

7. 07

   STEP 7 — Fold the draped edges over the filling and seal with 4 more warqa sheets on top, brushing with egg yolk between each. Brush the final surface with egg yolk.

8. 08

   STEP 8 — Bake for 22–25 minutes until the top is crisp and golden. Rest 4 minutes. Invert onto a platter, dust with icing sugar and a light trace of cinnamon. Serve immediately.

Warqa Briouat Stuffed with Spiced Ground Lamb and Fresh Herbs

• 500g ground lamb (not too lean — 15–20% fat)
• 1 medium white onion (130g), finely grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 30g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 20g fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 egg, beaten (for the filling)
• 12 sheets warqa or brick pastry, halved into half-moon strips
• 1 egg yolk, beaten (for sealing)
• Vegetable oil for deep frying (at least 1 litre)

1. 01

   STEP 1 — In a wide pan over medium heat, cook the grated onion with no oil for 3 minutes until it softens and loses most of its water — this prevents the filling from becoming soggy inside the warqa. Add the ground lamb and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the lamb is fully cooked and the pan is dry of moisture.

2. 02

   STEP 2 — Add garlic, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Stir and cook for 2 more minutes. The spices will bloom in the lamb fat and the kitchen will fill with a warm, resinous heat. Remove from heat.

3. 03

   STEP 3 — Stir in the parsley and coriander while the mixture is still hot — they will wilt slightly and become part of the filling rather than sitting on top of it. Stir in the beaten egg. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely before filling. Warm filling tears the warqa.

4. 04

   STEP 4 — Lay one half-moon strip of warqa on a clean surface, smooth side down. Place a heaped tablespoon of filling (about 30g) at one corner. Fold the corner over the filling to form a triangle. Continue folding in triangles along the length of the strip — the same motion as folding a flag. Seal the final flap with a dab of egg yolk. Repeat with all remaining strips and filling.

5. 05

   STEP 5 — Heat the vegetable oil in a deep, heavy pot to 175°C. Fry the briouat in batches of 4–5, turning once, for 2–3 minutes per side until deep amber and firm to the touch. The warqa should crackle audibly when you press it lightly — a hollow, papery sound means the layers are dry and crisp. Drain on a rack, not paper towel (paper traps steam and softens the crust).

6. 06

   STEP 6 — Serve immediately. Briouat do not hold well once fried.

Milk Bastilla Scented with Rose Water and Crushed Pistachios (Bastilla bel Hlib)

• 10 sheets warqa or brick pastry
• 80g clarified butter (smen or ghee), melted
• 750ml whole milk
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 80g caster sugar
• 1g saffron threads, bloomed in 2 tbsp warm milk
• 2 tbsp rose water
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
• 200ml double cream, whipped to soft peaks
• 80g raw pistachios, roughly crushed (not ground)
• 30g icing sugar for finishing
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon for finishing

1. 01

   STEP 1 — Brush each warqa sheet on both sides with clarified butter. Stack them in pairs (5 pairs total). In a dry non-stick pan over medium heat, fry each pair for 90 seconds per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until golden and rigid. They will blister slightly and smell of toasted butter — this is correct. Transfer to a rack to cool and crisp fully.

2. 02

   STEP 2 — In a medium saucepan, whisk the cornstarch into 100ml of cold milk until smooth. Add the remaining 650ml of milk, the caster sugar, and the bloomed saffron with its milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 6–8 minutes until the cream thickens to the consistency of loose yogurt. It should coat the whisk thickly and fall in slow ribbons.

3. 03

   STEP 3 — Remove from heat and stir in rose water and orange blossom water. Pour into a wide bowl and press cling film directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming. Cool to room temperature, approximately 30–40 minutes, then refrigerate for a further 30 minutes.

4. 04

   STEP 4 — When the milk cream is cold but still pourable, fold in the whipped double cream in two additions — this lightens the cream considerably and gives the finished bastilla a texture closer to chilled mousse than to rice pudding.

5. 05

   STEP 5 — On a large round serving platter (at least 32cm), lay one fried warqa pair as the base. Spoon 4–5 tablespoons of cream evenly across it, leaving a 1cm border. Scatter a small handful of crushed pistachios over the cream. Place the next warqa pair on top and repeat, finishing with a final warqa layer on top.

6. 06

   STEP 6 — Pour the remaining cream slowly over the top of the assembled bastilla so it runs down the sides and pools slightly around the base. Scatter the remaining pistachios generously over the top. Dust with icing sugar and draw lines of cinnamon across the surface with a small sieve.

7. 07

   STEP 7 — Refrigerate uncovered for exactly 2 hours before serving. The cream will set the layers together into a sliceable stack. Use a sharp knife and wipe the blade between cuts.