Sufra Dayma:

Chicken Filo Parcels

By Moushira Abdel-Malek

---

Serves 4

Ingredients:

500 gms chicken thigh fillets (cut into 3 cm cubes)

6 medium spring onions (ends trimmed, chopped in slices)

60 gms spinach leaves (coarsely chopped)

2 tbsp chopped dill leaves

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

12 sheets filo pastry

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt (to taste) + pepper + allspice

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large non- stick frying pan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until soft. Transfer to a plate. Add half the chicken to the pan after seasoning, and cook until golden. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool. Combine the spring onion, chicken, spinach, dill and soup in a large bowl. Stack three sheets of filo pastry on a clean work surface, brushing each sheet with oil. Place one quarter of the chicken mixture at one end of the shortest side of the pastry, leaving a 7 mm border. Fold over the ends and sides to enclose: (same way enclosing stuffed vine leaves). Roll up to secure. Brush parcels lightly with oil. Grease a large non-stick baking tray with oil. Place filo parcel on prepared tray. Repeat wit remaining chicken mixture and filo sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until pastry is crisp and golden. Serve with a mixed green salad.