One-pot wonder to feed a crowd with a spicy Middle Eastern kick

I love a good one-pot dish to feed a crowd. This gently spiced filo pie has warming spices such as cumin, cinnamon, coriander and smoked paprika, along with sweet caramelised chopped dates. This pie is heavily inspired by one of my favourite recipes from the London restaurant Honey & Co. I first came across it in 2016 when caterer Eunice Power made several chicken pastillas for our wedding party. They were perfect for that family gathering and I’ve been making a version of it ever since.

As with all recipes, you make them your own once you’ve cooked them a few times. The official recipe is set aside and substitutions and changes are made, tailored to suit your own preferences. The gathered buttered filo pastry has a celebratory appearance and a fun crunch when you cut into the pie. It’s perfect for placing in the middle of the table alongside some green vegetables or salad.

Here, I’ve added some sweet potatoes and used chicken breasts for a more straightforward dish that’s very easy and quick to put together. The Middle Eastern spice mix ras el hanout is beautiful with sweet potatoes. If you can’t source it then make your own by combining cinnamon, cumin, coriander, allspice, black pepper and ginger. There are many recipe guides online and in Middle Eastern cookbooks explaining how to make your own dried spice blend to complete this low-fuss impressive dish.

Recipe: Spiced sweet potato and chicken pastilla

Beth O’Brien’s lemon and poppy seed shortbread biscuits

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Lemon tart

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Gnocchi with lemon, crème fraîche, peas and mint

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Farinata with wild garlic and roast vegetables

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Lilly’s kitchen tips

• You can use leftover cooked turkey to make this pie. Cook the sweet potato for 15 minutes, then fold through the shredded turkey and cook for a further 15 minutes.
• Any spices can be used for this. Use garam masala or your favourite curry spice mix and add cubed potato, coriander and peas.
• I like to keep my freezer stocked with ready-made pastry this time of year as pies such as this are the perfect way to use up any leftovers.