Description
Creamy savory chicken filo bake offers Mediterranean comfort with delicate layers of phyllo pastry. Herbed chicken nestles between crisp, buttery sheets, delivering rich flavors that invite home cooks to savor each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 whole chicken
- 3 eggs
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) onions
- 6 sheets of filo pastry
- 30 g (1.06 oz) butter
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Poaching Preparation: Create a flavor base by sautéing diced onions in unsalted butter and extra virgin olive oil within a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid.
- Chicken Cooking: Submerge the whole chicken in the liquid, covering almost completely. Bring to a robust boil, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer. Poach for 90 minutes until meat becomes tender and fully cooked.
- Stock Refinement: Remove chicken and strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving caramelized onions. Intensify the stock by vigorously boiling and reducing for 15-20 minutes until gelatinous and concentrated.
- Meat Preparation: Allow chicken to cool, then meticulously shred meat using two forks, discarding bones and skin. Combine shredded meat with caramelized onions, eggs, reduced stock, kosher salt, and black pepper in a mixing bowl.
- Pastry Assembly: Preheat oven to 230 degrees Celsius. Lightly oil a 9-inch round pie dish. Layer filo pastry sheets, brushing each with olive oil and rotating slightly for comprehensive coverage. Distribute chicken mixture evenly, folding pastry edges inward.
- Baking Process: Top with remaining filo sheets, alternating directions and sealing edges. Bake at initial high temperature for 15 minutes, then reduce to 200 degrees Celsius. Score into wedges and continue baking for 45 minutes until pastry turns golden-brown and crispy.
Notes
- Poaching Precision: Maintain a gentle simmer to ensure chicken remains tender and doesn’t become tough or stringy during cooking.
- Stock Concentration: Reduce cooking liquid patiently to develop a rich, intense flavor base that will enhance the entire dish’s taste profile.
- Filo Finesse: Brush each pastry sheet generously with olive oil and rotate layers slightly to create a beautifully flaky, crisp texture with even golden-brown coloration.
- Temperature Control: Start baking at high heat to crisp the pastry, then lower temperature to allow thorough cooking without burning the delicate filo layers.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg