Salmon Bisteeya

Name: Salmon Bisteeya
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 10 sheets fillo pastry; 300g piece salmon fillet, skin off, pin-boned; 100g salted butter, melted; 30g slivered almonds, coarsely crushed; 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1 small red onion, finely diced; Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves and fine stems; 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves and fine stems; 1 egg, lightly beaten; Pinch saffron threads, soaked in a little warm water for at least 10 minutes; 1 tablespoon icing sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Bisteeya is a classic Moroccan pie, traditionally made with pigeon and other poultry. It lends itself beautifully to seafood too as you’ll see in this salmon bisteeya. A seafood version is even quicker and easier to make than a poultry one as there’s no need to poach the fish before assembling the pie. Traditionally the egg is scrambled into some of the poaching liquid, but I borrowed the idea of stirring the egg through the hot filling from chef Michael Rantissi; it helps ensure the pastry stays crisp. I like to serve my salmon bisteeya with a simple Middle Eastern salad (see video below) and a glass of Jon Darragh’s outstanding semillon.

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

10 sheets fillo pastry
300g piece salmon fillet, skin off, pin-boned
100g salted butter, melted
30g slivered almonds, coarsely crushed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, finely diced
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves and fine stems
½ cup chopped coriander leaves and fine stems
1 egg, lightly beaten
Pinch saffron threads, soaked in a little warm water for at least 10 minutes
1 tablespoon icing sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

Remove fillo pastry from the fridge and set aside in the box to come to room temperature.
Cut salmon into roughly a 2cm dice.
Preheat oven to 190°C.
Place about 2 teaspoons of the butter in a small frying pan over low-medium heat.
Add almonds and fry for a few minutes until aromatic and just starting to colour. Remove from pan and set aside.
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and a good pinch of salt and cook, covered, for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until just starting to colour.
Stir in garlic, ground coriander, cumin and pepper and cook for a minute or so, until aromatic.
Remove from heat.
Add salmon, chopped coriander, parsley, egg and saffron and its soaking water and stir to combine well.
Butter a 19cm springform cake tin.
Remove fillo from box and place under a clean, dry cloth (returning any excess to the fridge inside its original packaging).
Brush a sheet of fillo well with butter and place it into the tin with the excess hanging over the sides.
Brush another sheet with butter and place it into the tin so the overhang goes the other way, forming a cross pattern.
Repeat with all except 1 sheet of remaining pastry, alternating the direction you place the sheets in, so that pastry is overhanging all around the tin.
Sprinkle in half the almonds. Spoon salmon mixture on top, pressing it down evenly. Sprinkle with remaining almonds.
Brush half the remaining sheet of pastry with butter and fold in half. Brush top with butter.
Place on top of the filling and fold overhanging pastry in on top of it, brushing with a little butter between layers if you have enough left, reserving some for the top.
Press down gently and brush top with remaining butter.
Bake for 30 minutes or so, until crisp and dark golden.
Remove from oven and set aside in tin for 10 minutes or so.
Transfer salmon bisteeya to a serving platter, sprinkle generously with combined icing sugar and cinnamon and serve.