Moroccan

Seafood Pastilla

A crisp Moroccan warqa pie filled with shrimp, white fish, calamari, glass noodles, herbs, preserved lemon, and warm chermoula spices. The filling is cooked down until fragrant and tucked into buttery pastry, then baked until deeply golden.

▶Watch it madecookingwithalia · 8:44

Ingredients

• Warqa pastry sheets6 sheets
• Raw shrimp, peeled and deveined150g
• Firm white fish fillet, cut into chunks150g
• Cleaned calamari, sliced into rings100g
• Glass noodles40g
• Dried black mushrooms10g
• Unsalted butter, melted45g
• Olive oil2 tbsp
• Garlic, grated3 cloves
• Fresh cilantro, finely chopped3 tbsp
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped2 tbsp
• Preserved lemon peel, finely chopped1 tbsp
• Green olives, chopped2 tbsp
• Lemon juice1 tbsp
• Sweet paprika1 tsp
• Ground cumin1/2 tsp
• Ground ginger1/2 tsp
• Turmeric1/4 tsp
• Saffron threads, crumbled1 pinch
• Harissa or Moroccan hot pepper paste1 tsp
• Salt3/4 tsp
• Black pepper1/2 tsp
• Egg yolk, beaten1

Method

1. Soak the dried black mushrooms in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain, squeeze dry, and chop finely.
2. Soak the glass noodles in hot water for 5 minutes until pliable, then drain and cut into short lengths.
3. In a bowl, mix the garlic, cilantro, parsley, preserved lemon, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, ginger, turmeric, saffron, harissa, salt, pepper, and olive oil to make a chermoula.
4. Toss the shrimp, fish, and calamari separately with the chermoula, keeping any extra marinade in the bowl.
5. Heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat and cook the fish for 2 minutes, just until it flakes, then transfer it to a bowl.
6. In the same skillet, cook the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes until just pink, then add them to the fish.
7. Cook the calamari in the same skillet for 1 minute only, then transfer it to the bowl with the other seafood.
8. Add the chopped mushrooms, olives, glass noodles, and any remaining chermoula to the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring until the liquid is absorbed and the noodles are well seasoned.
9. Return the seafood to the skillet, gently combine, and cook for 1 minute more; the filling should be moist but not wet.
10. Spread the filling on a plate and let it cool completely so the pastry stays crisp.
11. Heat the oven to 200°C.
12. Brush a small round baking dish or tray with melted butter and lay 3 warqa sheets overlapping in a circle, letting the edges hang over the sides and brushing each sheet lightly with butter.
13. Place the cooled seafood filling in the center and shape it into an even round mound.
14. Fold the overhanging pastry over the filling, brushing with butter as you fold to seal the layers.
15. Place 2 more buttered warqa sheets over the top, tuck the edges neatly underneath the pastilla, and use the final sheet to patch and smooth the surface if needed.
16. Brush the top with beaten egg yolk, then brush lightly with more melted butter.
17. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastilla is crisp, flaky, and deep golden brown.
18. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then serve hot with lemon wedges.

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