Bake Off’s spicy chicken Moroccan pie – how to make Paul Hollywood’s tricky pastry dish as seen on this week’s technical challenge

IT’S our favourite time of week again – and tonight, the Great British Bake Off contestants will be taking on three different pastry challenges.

For the all-important technical round, bakers were given Paul Hollywood’s Moroccan Spiced Pie to master with limited instructions – but here’s how you can make it at home without the stress of the tent.

What is a Moroccan Spiced Pie?

According to host Noel Fielding, the Moroccan dish is categorised by its traditional brik pastry which is made of wheat flour, salt, oil and water.

Essentially like a filo mince pie, all the bakers need to wrap 12 very thin sheets of warka pastry around a perfectly spiced chicken filling.

The sweet and savoury filling traditionally contains cinnamon, dried cranberries, and pistachios as well as paprika to give it a bit of extra heat.

What is the recipe for a Moroccan Spiced Pie?

Although the the judges only provided the remaining four bakers with a list of ingredients for their Moroccan Spiced Pies, there’s an extremely similar recipe on BBC Good Food‘s website which can be made vegetarian if you swap chicken breasts for squash and chickpeas.

Ingredients (for the filling):

• 2 tsp of coriander and cumin seeds
• 1 tsp of paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 chicken breasts
• 12 shallots
• 4cm piece of root ginger
• 140g almonds
• 140g pistachios
• 75g dried cranberries
• 6 tbsp of honey
• 225g spinach
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3tbsp lemon juice
• 4tbsp fresh coriander

Ingredients (for the pastry):

• 400ml water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 250g flour
• 3 tbsp semolina
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method:

• For the filling, preheat the oven to fan 180C and dry fry the seeds briefly in a small pan over a medium heat until toasty
• Grind coarsely using a pestle and mortar (or a bowl and the end of a rolling pin), then mix in the paprika, cinnamon, salt and oil
• Meanwhile heat the oil in a frying pan, add the shallots and cook until they start to brown. Then add the chicken before stirring in the ginger, almonds and pistachios. When brown, toss in the cranberries, honey, and the spinach so it wilts.
• For the pastry, Spruce Eats recommends combining all the ingredients in a food processor until they’re smooth and silky. After this, pour the batter through a strainer and into a bowl to get rid of any lurking lumps before allowing to rest for an hour in a fridge.
• Fill a pot with boiling water and place a non-stick skillet over the top – lightly oil before painting on the batter using a pastry brush
• Repeat the process with each of the 12 layers, allowing each side to cook and oiling every side
• Layer the filling into the 12 pastry sheets and cook for 30-25 minutes

What did Paul Hollywood say about the Moroccan Spiced Pie?

Before setting his Pastry Week challenge, Paul reminded contestants that “consistency is what really matters” when tackling the intricate layers of the spiced pie.

As always, the judges are looking for even bakes and clear defined, layers on the inside.

What was the theme for this week’s episode?

As they fight for a place in the semi-final, the remaining bakers will have to master the art of pastry.

Along with their tricky technical challenge involving brik pastry, the contestants will have to create a signature bake as well as a show-stopper to make it through to the next round.

Last month, we showed you how to make Paul’s classic fig rolls from Bake Off Biscuit Week.

We also revealed Bake Off fans were furious as Paul Hollywood ‘steals’ Mary Berry’s soggy bottom catchphrase.

And we told you Bake Off viewers were in tears as Michael broke down again during technical challenge.