Chicken Pastilla with Cinnamon and Almonds

Makes 12 pastilla “cigars”

Pastilla is a traditional Moroccan meat pie with Spanish origins. It is usually made as one large dish, but I like to make pastilla “cigars” for perfect individually portioned, handheld mezze. They are ridiculously easy to make and inexpensive, too. I try to time everything just right so that the cigars are coming out of the oven just as my guests arrive; the fragrance of cinnamon, almonds, and orange blossom is an excellent welcome. Dusting the chicken cigars with confectioners’ sugar may sound wrong, but millions of Moroccans know how right it is.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus plenty more for brushing the phyllo
• ½ onion, thinly sliced
• ½ bulb fennel, thinly sliced
• 1 pound ground chicken
•   Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon orange blossom water (see sidebar)
• 6 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• ½ cup sliced almonds
•   Confectioners’ sugar, for serving

● Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken and continue cooking, stirring to break up the meat, until it begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Add several big pinches of salt, the cinnamon, and orange blossom water. Stir to combine.

● Brush one sheet of phyllo generously with oil and layer 2 more sheets on top, brushing each generously with oil. (Keep the rest of the phyllo under a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Cut the 3 stacked sheets in half lengthwise, putting one half aside. With a short side facing you, top the stacked phyllo with half of the chicken mixture, leaving a small margin all around all the sides. Roll into a cigar shape, cutting the phyllo once it’s overlapped a bit (you should get 3 cigars from each half of the phyllo stack). Repeat with the other half of the phyllo stack, then repeat the process with the remaining 3 sheets phyllo to make the rest of the cigars. (This is the same process as for Cashew Baklava Cigars; see photographs.)

● Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the cigars on a baking sheet and brush them with the beaten egg. Top with the sliced almonds. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Dust the cigars with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately.