PProvenance
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Cooking in
Salt Spring Island
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North African · Morocco

Bastilla: The Sweet-Savoury Pastry Tradition

A pie made from thin warqa pastry (similar to phyllo) layered with three fillings: spiced braised poultry, scrambled egg enriched with the braising liquid, and toasted almonds with sugar and cinnamon. The assembly requires working quickly with warqa, which dries and cracks rapidly. The finished pie is baked, then dusted with a pattern of cinnamon and powdered sugar.

‹Swipe for the next dish›
Serves4
Total180 min
Within reach5of 12 in Salt Spring Island

Five in town · four elsewhere in British Columbia · three not yet within reach.

How the 12 are reached
In town
5 · coriander seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, ground cinnamon, ground cinnamon
Elsewhere in British Columbia
4 · squab (450g each), black peppercorns, shelled pistachios, fresh coriander
Not yet within reach
3 · shelled almonds, ground ginger, phyllo sheets
Cook
‹ Previous · Bastilla au Lait — Sweet Pastry with Almond Cream|Next · Beef Tagine with Peas and Artichokes ›
I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

2
squab (450g each)
plucked and cleaned
Origin · FranceElsewhere in British Columbia · Lekker →
200g
onion
sliced
Your own market
100g
carrot
cut into chunks
Your own market
50g
celery
cut into chunks
Your own market
6
6
black peppercorns
Origin · Kampot pepper, Cambodia — protected geographical indicationElsewhere in British Columbia · Granville Island Spice Co. →
2
1
100g
smen (preserved butter) or clarified butter
Your own market
200g
onions
sliced thin
Your own market
60g
shelled almonds
blanched and split
Not yet within reach of Salt Spring Island · each reach is counted
60g
15g
15g
fresh parsley
chopped
Your own market
4g
4g
ground ginger
Origin · New ZealandNot yet within reach of Salt Spring Island · each reach is counted
2
egg yolks
Your own market
100ml
reserved poaching liquid
Your own market
150g
phyllo sheets
Not yet within reach of Salt Spring Island · each reach is counted
60g
melted butter
Your own market
20g
powdered sugar
Your own market
3g

Within reach counts in town, delivered, shipped and the nearest city. A staple counts once it has a local seller. Charted from each shop's own pages; not yet vouched by a cook who shops here.

The larder of Salt Spring Island →

Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.

II

The Method

1
Poach squab with carrot, celery, onion, coriander seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick in salted water for 35 minutes; cool in liquid, then shred meat finely; reserve 100ml poaching liquid.
2
Heat smen in heavy pot; sauté sliced onions until golden and caramelized, 15 minutes; add almonds and pistachios, toast 2 minutes.
3
Fold in shredded squab, fresh herbs, ground cinnamon, and ginger; season with salt and white pepper.
4
Whisk egg yolks with reserved poaching liquid; fold into filling off heat until cohesive.
5
Layer 4 phyllo sheets, brushing each with melted butter; spread quarter of filling across lower third, fold edges inward, then roll into tight cylinder.
6
Arrange seam-side down on buttered sheet tray; repeat with remaining phyllo and filling to create 4 rolls.
7
Brush tops generously with remaining butter; bake at 190°C until deep golden, 25–28 minutes.
8
Dust with powdered sugar and ground cinnamon; serve warm.
III

Sensory Tests

◇Where it lives or dies. Traditional bastilla uses pigeon; chicken thighs are the contemporary substitute (and are more practical for home cooking without loss of character) For the most authentic flavour: steep a pinch of saffron in 2 tablespoons of warm water and add to the braising liquid — the saffron aroma permeates the filling The traditional Moroccan sequence: bastilla is the first course at a wedding banquet, followed by a tagine, followed by couscous — it is an opener, not the main
Pillar IV
Cross-cuisine parallels are part of membership.
The dishes this one teaches you, across the cuisines — on every recipe.
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V

What to Pour

Pouring for British Columbia · ·

The pairing
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Buffalo Trace Distillery · Kentucky Bourbon Country
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Whisky
From British Columbia
Classic Single Malt
Shelter Point Distillery · Vancouver Island
Shelter Point Distillery · Campbell River →
Whisky
Without alcohol

No pour without alcohol holds against this yet.

Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.

Why each one works is part of membership — Enter · from $49 a year →

The whole pairing
Pillar VI
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
Enter · from $49 a year
The working kitchen
Cost this recipe
Part of The Profession · ingredient costs and your margin
→
HACCP brief
Part of The Profession · the food-safety plan
→
Sourced through Provenance

The hands behind the plate.

Jane Squier — Salt Spring Citrus
Salt Spring Island · coriander seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon stick
→
Granville Island Spice Co.
Vancouver · black peppercorns
→
Lekker
Vancouver · squab (450g each)
→
Sechelt Farmers' & Artisans' Market (Sat)
Sechelt · shelled pistachios, fresh coriander
→
← PreviousBastilla au Lait — Sweet Pastry with Almond CreamOne standard · no exceptions