Recipe: Chicken and Apricot Phyllo Pie

Chicken and Apricot Phyllo Pie

1/2 cup Ziyad bulghur
6 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 pound chopped chicken
1/4 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
1/4 cup blanched almonds, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 cup strained Dana plain yogurt
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 large sheets Ziyad phyllo pastry
Salt and ground black pepper
Chives, to garnish

(Serves 6)

Preheat oven to 400F. Put the bulghur in a bowl with 1/2 cup boiling water. Soak until water is absorbed, usually 5-10 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a pan and gently saute' the onions and chicken until pale golden.

Stir in the apricots, almonds and bulghur and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cinnamon, allspice, yogurt, chives and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Melt the remaining butter. Unroll the phyllo pastry and cut into 10-inch circles. Keep the pastry circles covered with a clean, damp dish towel to prevent drying.

Line a 9-inch quiche pan with a removable bottom with three of the pastry circles, brushing each one with butter as you layer them. Spoon in the chicken mixture and cover with 3 more pastry rounds, brushed with melted butter as before.

Crumple the remaining circles and place them on top of the pie, then brush on any remaining melted butter. Bake the pei for about 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Serve Chicken and Apricot Phyllo Pie hot or cold, cut into wedges and garnished with chives.