Moroccan Pork & Pink Lady® Apple Pastilla
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cooling time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6
Description
A crisp, golden phyllo pastilla filled with slow-cooked Moroccan-spiced pork and Pink Lady® apple, served with a fresh apple salad and harissa yoghurt.
Ingredients
Moroccan Pork Filling
1 kg boneless pork shoulder
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp (10 ml) ground cumin
4 tsp (20 ml) ground coriander
4 tsp (20 ml) smoked paprika
2 tsp (10 ml) ground cinnamon
2 tsp (10 ml) ground ginger
1 tsp (5 ml) ground turmeric
1 tsp (5 ml) cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
1 tsp (5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbsp (60 ml) tomato paste
1 C (250 ml) chicken stock
¼ C (60 ml) Pink Lady® apple juice
1 Tbsp (15 ml) honey
1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
1 large Pink Lady® Apple, peeled and coarsely grated
¼ C (60 ml) fresh coriander, chopped
¼ C (60 ml) fresh parsley, chopped
To Assemble
10–12 sheets phyllo pastry
120 g butter, melted
¾ C (180 ml) toasted flaked almonds
Sweet & Savoury Finish
2 tsp (10 ml) icing sugar
½ tsp (2.5 ml) ground cinnamon
¼ C (60 ml) raw almonds, finely crushed
Apple & Cucumber Mint Salad
2 Pink Lady® Apples, chopped
1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
1 large English cucumber, chopped
¼ C (60 ml) fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
¼ C (60 ml) fresh coriander, roughly chopped
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp (30 ml) toasted sesame seeds
Salad Dressing
3 Tbsp (45 ml) Pink Lady® apple juice
2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp (5 ml) honey
¼ tsp (1.25 ml) ground cumin
¼ tsp (1.25 ml) fine salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Harissa Yoghurt
200 g Greek yoghurt
1 tsp (5 ml) harissa paste
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Instructions
Moroccan Pork Filling
Preheat the oven to 150°C.
Combine the cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, cayenne pepper (if using), salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Rub approximately one-quarter of the spice mixture over the pork shoulder.
Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the pork well on all sides, then remove and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook the onion for about 5 minutes, or until softened.
Add the garlic and remaining spice mixture and cook for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
Pour in the chicken stock, Pink Lady® apple juice, honey and lemon juice, stirring to combine.
Return the pork to the casserole, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2½–3 hours, or until the pork is fork-tender and pulls apart easily.
Transfer the pork to a board and shred using two forks.
Return the shredded pork to the cooking juices and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced and lightly coats the meat. The filling should be moist but not wet.
Allow the filling to cool completely before folding through the grated Pink Lady® apple, coriander and parsley.
To Assemble
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
To make removing the pastilla easier, cut a circle of baking paper to fit the base of a 23–24 cm cake tin or springform tin. Cut two long strips of baking paper approximately 8–10 cm wide. Lay them in a cross over the base of the tin, allowing the ends to hang over the sides. Place the baking paper circle on top and lightly grease with a little melted butter.
Unroll the sheets of phyllo pastry so they are flat and start by brushing the first one generously with melted butter. Layer it into the prepared tin, allowing the edges to overhang and the repeat with the remaining sheets, buttering each one.
Spoon the cooled pork filling into the pastry and spread evenly. Scatter over the toasted flaked almonds.
Fold the overhanging pastry over the filling to enclose it completely and gently press together in a rustic way. Brush generously with the remaining melted butter.
Sweet & Savoury Finish
Sprinkle the top with the ground cinnamon and crushed almonds.
Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp, flaky and deep golden brown.
Allow the pastilla to rest for 10–15 minutes before removing it from the tin. Lift it out using the baking paper strips and carefully slide away the paper.
Dust lightly with the icing sugar again just before serving.
Apple & Cucumber Mint Salad
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat until lightly golden and fragrant. Allow to cool.
Toss the chopped Pink Lady® apples with the lemon juice to prevent browning.
Combine the apples, cucumber, mint, coriander and spring onions in a serving bowl.
Whisk together the Pink Lady® apple juice, olive oil, honey, cumin, salt and black pepper until emulsified.
If preparing ahead, keep the dressing separate until ready to serve.
Just before serving, toss the salad with the dressing and sprinkle over the toasted sesame seeds.
Harissa Yoghurt
Combine the Greek yoghurt, harissa paste, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl. Mix until smooth and well combined.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To Serve
Slice the warm pastilla and serve with the salad and a generous spoonful of harissa yoghurt.
