This stunning Moroccan festive dish combines tender shredded chicken with crispy fried pastry strips layered with aromatic fenugreek-infused broth, creating an unforgettable textural contrast of crispy and tender elements. A traditional celebration meal that transforms simple ingredients into an elegant, fragrant masterpiece with warm spices and delicate flavors.
⏱️120 min
📊Medium
👥6 servings
🍽️Main
meatfestivefamily
Ingredients
1.5 kgwhole chicken
3 piecesonions
30 gfresh ginger
1 teaspoonsaffron threads
2 teaspoonsfenugreek seeds
8 sheetsphyllo pastry sheets
200 mlolive oil
500 mlvegetable oil for frying
2 teaspoonssalt
1 teaspoonblack pepper
1.5 literswater
1 piececinnamon stick
Instructions
1PREPARE THE CHICKEN BROTH: Cut the whole chicken into 8 pieces and place them in a large pot with 1.5 liters of water. Slice 2 onions into quarters and add to the pot along with 30g of fresh ginger that has been crushed. Add the cinnamon stick, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer gently for 45-50 minutes until the chicken is completely tender and easily falls apart when pierced with a fork. Skim any impurities that rise to the surface during the first 10 minutes of cooking.
2INFUSE THE BROTH WITH AROMATICS: Toast the 2 teaspoons of fenugreek seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly until fragrant but not burning, as they can become bitter quickly. Soak 1 teaspoon of saffron threads in 100ml of warm broth for at least 10 minutes to release their distinctive golden color and delicate flavor. Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool slightly, then strain the broth through a fine sieve, discarding solids. Return the broth to the pot and stir in the saffron-infused liquid and the toasted fenugreek seeds.
3SHRED THE CHICKEN: Once the chicken pieces have cooled enough to handle (about 5 minutes), carefully remove all the meat from the bones and shred it into bite-sized pieces with your fingers or two forks. The meat should pull apart easily and be completely tender. Discard all bones, skin, and cartilage, and set the shredded meat aside on a plate.
4PREPARE THE PASTRY: Cut the 8 phyllo pastry sheets into thin strips approximately 3-4 cm wide and 10-12 cm long using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors. Work quickly as phyllo dries out easily, and cover the remaining sheets with a slightly damp kitchen towel while you work. You should have roughly 100-120 pastry strips when finished.
5FRY THE PASTRY STRIPS: Heat the 500ml of vegetable oil in a deep saucepan or deep-fryer to exactly 180°C (350°F), using a thermometer to ensure proper temperature as this prevents the pastry from absorbing excess oil. Working in small batches to avoid overcrowding, carefully add the pastry strips and fry for 1-2 minutes until they turn golden-brown and crispy, stirring gently with a slotted spoon to ensure even coloring. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. They will continue to crisp as they cool.
6ASSEMBLE THE RFISSA: Finely slice the remaining onion and cook it gently in 200ml of olive oil over low-medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened and translucent but not colored. In a large serving bowl or platter, create layers starting with a handful of the crispy fried pastry strips as the base, then layer with shredded chicken, caramelized onions, and more pastry strips, repeating until all ingredients are used and finishing with pastry strips on top. Just before serving, carefully ladle the hot fragrant broth over the assembled layers, allowing it to soak into the pastry and warm everything through.