Possible Allergy warning – please read all recipes carefully
and be aware of any allergies or sensitivities that may affect your health and well-being

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Please Fave the original Here

A new gem from - the second pic is the shot of the filling :3

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Some more Moroccan food this recipe went much easier then the chicken version I did a couple of weeks back. This is once again adapted from cooking at the kasbah by Kitty Morse
The tomato sauce that it is served with is based around chermoula a common Moroccan marinade it is only optional but it goes quite well with the b'stila

Unlike the recipe with the chicken, this is not sweet. It is actually slightly spicy

Cook time approximately 1 hour from start to finish

You will need:

For the filling

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions finely diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Two tomatoes seeded and diced
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
15 Green Olives pitted drained and finely chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 firm white fish fillet cut into 1-in pieces
(I actually used whiting)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons of minced cilantro.
(I actually had to use dried)
3 tablespoons chopped parsley.( I had to use dried)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
( optional. I actually used a small chunk of dried red pepper that some friends gifted me)
Six large cooked shrimp.
(I used 8/10's the recipe did not call for it but I felt that it was needed)

For the tomato chermula sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
5 tomatoes, peeled seated and coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp. Sugar
3 tablespoons chopped parsley (I had to use dried)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (I used dried)
1/2 tsp. Salt

You will also need eight sheets of phyllo dough
And 1/2 cup of butter melted (1 stick)

And either a cast iron skillet or pizza pan

To make the filling:

in a large skillet or pot, he the olive oil and cook the onions and garlic, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender. Somewhere between 5 and 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, paprika, cumin, olives and lemon juice. Cook for 1 to 3 minutes. Add the fish, cook until it begins to flake, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and pulverize the fish combine everything with the salt, cilantro, parsley and cayenne if using

To make the sauce:

In a medium sauce pot, cook the olive oil, garlic, cumin and paprika until fragrant. About 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sugar, parsley and cilantro. Cook until the sauce thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and put to the side

I found that the resulting sauce was incredibly thick. You might have to add some water additionally, it does not hurt to go at the mixture with a masher if you have one on hand

To assemble the b'stila:

Preheat your oven to 425° f
Brush some melted butter on your pan. Layer four sheets of phyllo dough buttering each layer. On top of the fourth layer, spread the filling evenly leaving an inch and a half border of phyllo. If you are using them, place the shrimp evenly on top of the filling
Layer four more sheets of phyllo over the seafood and try to tuck them underneath everything to seal it in place
Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
Cut into wedges and serve hot with the reserved sauce on the side.

Cooks notes:

This is another recipe I can highly recommend. I was worried that due to the olives and lemon juice that the filling would be excessively sour it really isn't

I can see making this tomato sauce recipe on its own for something entirely different. It definitely tastes Moroccan.

I used whiting fillets because it's what I had on hand, but you can probably use any type of white fish a part of me wants to do this again with flounder

The mishap involving the phyllo when I made the chicken version was definitely due to the fact that I didn't give it sufficient time to thaw this time it went very smoothly


I can definitely suggest using hot sauce if you don't have cayenne pepper or hot peppers laying around or just omit it entirely