Recipe from Ana Sortun
Adapted by Amanda Hesser
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- 5(196)
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:6 appetizer servings
- Cooking-oil spray
- ¾cup cooked, shredded chicken (from about half a chicken breast or 2 thighs)
- ⅓cup slivered almonds, toasted
- 1½teaspoons harissa
- 2teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- 1lemon
- Pinch of saffron
- ½cup flour
- ⅛teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛teaspoon cinnamon
- 2large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½cup whole milk
- 4tablespoons butter, melted
- 1tablespoon finely chopped cilantro, to garnish
- Chicken broth (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
251 calories; 19 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 275 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Step
1
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a muffin tin with 6 half-cup molds with cooking-oil spray. In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken, almonds, harissa and olive oil. Season with salt.
Step
2
Juice half the lemon. Cut the remaining half into 6 wedges and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, dissolve the saffron in 2 teaspoons lemon juice; let sit for 10 minutes.
Step
3
Place the muffin tin on a sheet pan and put it in the oven to heat, about 5 minutes. In another mixing bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt. Make a well in the center, add the eggs, milk and saffron mixture and beat gently, leaving the batter a little lumpy.
Step
4
Remove the muffin tin from the oven and distribute the melted butter evenly among the molds. (It is important that each cup has enough butter, as the batter will fry in it when baked.) Divide the batter among the molds, no more than halfway up each. Drop about 2 tablespoons chicken filling into the center of each. Bake until the edges are browned and the batter is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Top with cilantro and serve with lemon wedges. Eat as is or with homemade chicken broth poured on top.
Ratings
5
out of 5
196
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Cooking Notes
Jeanne
This was unusual, easy to make and delicious! Would be a perfect compliment to soup for dinner.
Ryan B
Made these with whole-wheat pastry flour since that's all I had at the time and it worked well. Next time I might reduce the butter to 3Tbsp. These were just a little greasy for my liking and some of the butter overflowed the pan while baking, making a mess in the oven. Still, I enjoyed these and more importantly so did my 2yo son (who called them chicken pies). Would be curious to sub in other flavors in the future.
Laura
These were delicious though I agree with the other comment I would reduce the butter to 3 tbs next time. It overflowed for me too. But the flavors were spectacular. I served them with soup. We ate 3 each so the portion of 6 appetizer size ended up being enough for 2 as a dinner option.
Eva Tackett
Reminds me of the taste of Bistilla without the sweet and crispy elements. Very tasty.I think a heaping teaspoon of butter would be sufficient to cook each of the dumplings. I will add additional cinnamon and nutmeg to the chicken mixture next time. I would not add additional saffron.Add all the chicken mixture to the muffin tins. The chicken mixture not covered by the batter as it rose became crispy and was good.The dumplings took 25 minutes to brown in my oven.
SPark0101
I didn't have a muffin pan so instead made one large dumpling in a pie pan. It worked beautifully and was delicious. I agree with suggestions to reduce the amount of butter to make it less greasy. I served the portions with sautéed broccoli which was a nice complement.
Janet
Wonderful during COVID times since everyone gets his/her own and no one goes near a serving dish. Leftover Costco rotisserie chicken is perfect for this.
KatieM
So delicious. I loved the saffron flavor. The chicken was moist and flavorful. The batter really puffed up. Fun, easy recipe. Good idea to put a tray or baking sheet under the muffin tin. It seemed like a lot of butter but the recipe worked perfectly as written -- I would not change anything.
Sara
Instead of pouring melted butter into each muffin compartment, I cut slivers of unmelted butter and then put the muffin tin in the oven a few minutes. It is still necessary to spray the muffin tins (tried it without spraying the tins and had difficulty getting pies out). Second time I made these, I added sautéed mushrooms and spinach with garlic and thyme instead of the chicken and harissa and other seasoning.
Georgia
I served these with soup and they were absolutley delicious. I think my muffin tins were a bit smaller than those the recipe called for so I had more batter than fit 6 molds. I put my tin on a cookie sheet and, yes, the butter overflowed. The next time I make them (soon I hope) I'll prepare a 12 mold pan and decrease the amount of butter in each one.
Madame Professor
One of the more delicious and unusual dishes I have cooked in a long time. I served the dumplings in a shallow soup bowl surrounded by a rich chicken broth studded with cooked onions, carrots and celery. Sublime.
Micah
Cook for a full 15 minutes, halve the almonds, reduce butter (5 tablespoon for double batch), double the harissa and add other spices to chicken to spice it up more
Brett
When I initially made these I thought they were delicious but a bit bland. The second time I made them I used rotisserie chicken and spices similar to bastilla. 1/4t Tumeric, 1/8t cinnamon, 1/4t powdered ginger, pinch of saffron and a pinch of sugar. The next time I make them I will try mini muffin tins to see if that will work for appetizer portions.
A cook
don't bother with melting the butter--just put a thin slice of cold butter into each muffin well and then put the muffin tin in the preheated oven for a few. i left out the $$$affron and it was fine. This is a GREAT way to use up the boiled chicken out of a soup. way tastier than any other use ever for boiled chicken. Genius!
Madame Defarge Kept a List
What kind of soup would go well with this?
Carrie
Went to my local spice store for saffron and harissa which I never cook with. I wanted a vegetarian version so just sautéed veggies I had in the fridge, onions, red peppers, mushrooms, spinach, and dolloped the mix over the batter (which I halved). Thawed some frozen homemade chix broth poured it over two muffins. Amazing. The muffins held up in the broth. Loved the novel seasonings. A keeper.
Jennie
Essentially chicken-studded baby Yorkshire puddings. Lovely in hot chicken broth--like a mutated kreplach.
Jblundell
has anyone used anything other than whole milk to make it? I can get away with butter but milk causes issues.
Madame Professor
On my regular rotation with leftover chicken and homemade stock. To die for. So simple.
Karen Esther
This got thumbs up from my whole family, including picky 5 year old. I paired with a big green salad.I reduced the butter to 3 TB and it still overflowed quite a lot. I would cut back to 2 TB the next time and see how that works.I also think the batter could do with a pinch or two of sugar - the flavors here are similar to Moroccan pastilla and that benefits from the sweet/savory combo.Great way to use up leftover roast chicken!
Sara
Instead of pouring melted butter into each muffin compartment, I cut slivers of unmelted butter and then put the muffin tin in the oven a few minutes. It is still necessary to spray the muffin tins (tried it without spraying the tins and had difficulty getting pies out). Second time I made these, I added sautéed mushrooms and spinach with garlic and thyme instead of the chicken and harissa and other seasoning.
KatieM
So delicious. I loved the saffron flavor. The chicken was moist and flavorful. The batter really puffed up. Fun, easy recipe. Good idea to put a tray or baking sheet under the muffin tin. It seemed like a lot of butter but the recipe worked perfectly as written -- I would not change anything.
Janet
Wonderful during COVID times since everyone gets his/her own and no one goes near a serving dish. Leftover Costco rotisserie chicken is perfect for this.
SPark0101
I didn't have a muffin pan so instead made one large dumpling in a pie pan. It worked beautifully and was delicious. I agree with suggestions to reduce the amount of butter to make it less greasy. I served the portions with sautéed broccoli which was a nice complement.
Micah
Cook for a full 15 minutes, halve the almonds, reduce butter (5 tablespoon for double batch), double the harissa and add other spices to chicken to spice it up more
Michelle
Does anyone know if these can be made in advance and frozen? I'm thinking of making mini-muffin size as a passed h'ors d'oeuvres for a party. Thoughts? I may just try it out and see how it goes. Hoping I can freeze them and then re-heat them in the oven just before serving.
Madame Professor
One of the more delicious and unusual dishes I have cooked in a long time. I served the dumplings in a shallow soup bowl surrounded by a rich chicken broth studded with cooked onions, carrots and celery. Sublime.
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