Moroccan Fish Bastilla Recipe
This delicious seafood pie blends the rich flavours of cod or swordfish, shrimp, and calamari with Chinese vermicelli, mushrooms, and a spiced tomato sauce, all wrapped in delicate, crispy warqa (brick pastry) or phyllo pastry. It's a true labour of love, but with proper planning and preparation, it becomes a rewarding and manageable experience.The key to success lies in preparing each mixture separately—cooking the seafood, and noodles, making the sauce, and assembling the layers. Being organized helps, so measure your ingredients ahead of time and keep your workspace tidy to streamline the process. For convenience, I prepare the filling in advance and refrigerate it until I'm ready to assemble. The Bastilla itself can also be assembled and frozen, making it a fantastic make-ahead option for unexpected guests and surprises. When frozen, it bakes beautifully straight from the freezer, ensuring you can serve a fresh and flaky masterpiece with minimal last-minute effort.
Equipment
- 1 14" round pan
Ingredients
Seafood Filling:
- 500 g 1 lb medium shrimp, shelled, cleaned, and tails removed
- 500 g 1 lb calamari, cleaned and sliced into 1/4" rings, with tentacles chopped
- 1 kg 2 lbs boneless cod, cut into bite-sized pieces swordfish or another firm, low-fat fish can also work.
- 4 tbsp butter divided
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp chermoula
Tomato Sauce:
- 3 large tomatoes
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp pepper
Vermicelli Filling:
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 bell pepper sliced
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped or pressed
- 175 g dried Chinese vermicelli noodles
- 1 tbsp hot sauce optional
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Reserved seafood cooking liquids
- salt & pepper taste the mixture first & adjust as needed
For Assembly:
- 500 g warqa or phyllo pastry
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 egg yolk beaten
- 1 cup grated cheese e.g., Edam, Mild Cheddar, Gouda
Optional Garnish:
- 1/2 cup grated cheese
- Cooked shrimp
- Lemon slices
- Fresh parsley or lettuce
- Olives
Instructions
Prepare the Tomato Sauce
- In a blender or food processor, blend the peeled and chopped tomatoes with the oil, garlic and half the parsley. Pour the tomato mixture into a saucepan and combine with the seasoning.
- Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Chop and stir in the remaining parsley, remove from heat, and set aside.
Cook the Shrimp
- Marinate the shrimp in 1 tbsp of chermoula.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Sauté for 1–2 minutes, until the shrimp turns opaque but the center is slightly translucent.
- Drain the shrimp, reserving the liquid for later. Set the shrimp aside. (Reserve a few for garnish if desired.)
Cook the Codfish
- Marinate the codfish in 1 tbsp of chermoula.
- In the same skillet, melt another tablespoon of butter over medium heat.
- Cook, turning occasionally, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
- Transfer the fish to a plate, reserving the liquid. Break the fish into chunky flakes and set aside.
Cook the Calamari
- Melt a tablespoon of butter in the skillet.
- Add the calamari, seasoning with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
- Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 1 hour, or until tender.
- Drain the calamari, reserving the liquid, and set aside.
- Note: You can mix the reserved liquids together and keep them in one place.
Prepare the Mushrooms
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet.
- Add the washed and sliced mushrooms and saute in the skillet seasoned with some salt and pepper. Set aside.
Cook the Vermicelli
- In a large wok, stir-fry the onion, pepper and garlic in some vegetable oil. When half cooked add the sauces and 1/4 cup of water. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed
- Soak the Chinese vermicelli noodles in hot water for 5 minutes until softened. Using a pair of kitchen tongs and scissors, cut the noodles into shorter lengths while in the water. (about 3 inches). Then drain.
- Add the vermicelli into the wok with the vegetables & reserved seafood liquids.
- Stir and cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for a further 5 minutes until the vermicelli is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
Combine the Filling
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked shrimp, calamari, mushrooms, and vermicelli mixture.
- Mix well, tasting and adjusting the seasoning with additional soy sauce or hot sauce if desired.
Assemble the Bastilla
- Keep your warqa or phyllo pastry covered with plastic wrap while working. Brush each sheet of dough with melted butter as you layer. It's easier to layer the pastry inside the round pan but a large flat surface can work too.
- Brush a large round pan or flat surface with melted butter and vegetable oil. Layer 5, 12-inch circles of warqa sheets (shiny side down) or double layers of phyllo, allowing the edges to drape over the pan. Butter brush each layer. The first layer will sit in the centre and the other 4 sheets will overlap each other all the way around.
- Place a 12-inch circle of warqa (shiny side down) or two phyllo sheets in the centre. Add the vermicelli filling, lightly pressing it into a circular shape, or all around the edges of the pan. Then press down a layer of cooked cod flakes over it. Drizzle the tomato sauce mixture all over the layer of codfish and finish of with sprinkling the grated cheese over the top of the sauce.
- Fold the overhanging dough over the filling to fully enclose the pie. Trim excess dough as needed to maintain a neat, circular shape.
- Add 2–3 layers of warqa (shiny side up) or 4–5 layers of phyllo on top, butter brushing each layer. Tuck the edges under the pie and smooth out the surface.
- Brush the entire pie with melted butter, then with the beaten egg yolk for a glossy finish.
Bake the Bastilla
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Place the bastilla on a buttered baking sheet (if its not in a round pan). Bake for 30–45 minutes or until golden and crisp. (If baking from frozen, it may take slightly longer.)
- Optional: Sprinkle additional grated cheese on top during the last 5 minutes of baking to melt and brown slightly.
Garnish and Serve
- Transfer the bastilla to a serving platter. Garnish with cooked shrimp, lemon slices, and fresh parsley if desired.
- Serve warm, allowing guests to marvel at the flaky layers and savory seafood filling.
Notes
Tip for Mini Pies: For individual bastillas, use a small soup bowl or pie tin to place one or two small buttered sheets of warqa or phyllo. Add a dollop of filling and grated cheese, then fold the dough to enclose the filling. Trim the excess dough and bake as directed. The bowl or tin can help with the shaping and keep the size consistent.
Modern-day large party pastillas are also being adorned by breadcrumbed fried appetisers such as scampi, shrimp, chicken nuggets and long or triangle-shaped cheese phyllo pastries.