Why it works: Cumin and turmeric match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,698 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓
Moroccan Chicken Bundles
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the filling
Cook onion in oil with salt, cumin, ginger, turmeric, pepper and coriander in large heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until onion has softened, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken, broth, water and cinnamon stick and simmer, covered, turning chicken over once, until meat is very tender, about 45 minutes.
Transfer chicken to a bowl, reserving cooking liquid.
Remove skin and bones from chicken, then shred chicken either by hand or by pulsing in food processor and place in a large bowl.
Place cooking liquid in a 2 cup glass measure and let stand 1 minute and then skim off fat and discard cinnamon stick.
Return liquid to saucepan and simmer over medium heat uncovered until liquid has reduced to about 1/4 cup (approximately 8 minutes) (Liquid will look like a glaze in the bottom of the pan).
Stir in shredded chicken and almonds.
Reserve 2 Tbsp of beaten egg for egg wash.
Lightly season remainder of egg with salt and pepper, then cook over medium heat with 1/2 Tbsp butter until just set, but still slightly soft.
Stir egg into chicken filling.
Assemble the rolls
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface, keeping remainder of phyllo covered with plastic wrap and damp kitchen towels.
Brush sheet generously with melted butter and then evenly sift 1/4 tsp cinnamon over buttered phyllo.
Top with a second phyllo sheet and generously brush with butter.
Halve buttered phyllo stack crosswise, then arrange one half with long side nearest you.
Spread 1/4 cup of chicken mixture in a narrow strip along edge closest to you and roll up filling tightly in phyllo, leaving ends open.
Transfer roll, seam down to a cutting board set inside a baking pan (this will help contain mustard seeds when sprinkling).
Make 6 more rolls in same manner.
Lightly brush top of rolls with egg wash and immediately sprinkle with mustard seeds, pressing lightly on seeds to help them adhere.
Cut each roll crosswise into 4 pieces and arrange 1 inch apart on baking sheets.
Bake and serve
Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until phyllo is golden brown, approximately 12 minutes; then transfer rolls to rack to cool slightly.
Note: Rolls can be assembled (but not coated or cut) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
OR Rolls can be assembled and cut (but not coated or baked) 2 weeks ahead and frozen, wrapped well in plastic wrap.
Coat frozen rolls, then bake in preheated 350 oven for about 20 minutes or so.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 13 of 17 ingredients. The other 4 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 13 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Turmeric | 1 tsp ground (3g) | 9 |
| Cumin | 1 tsp ground (2.1g) | 8 |
| Almond | 1 almond (1.2g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Coriander | not in our table | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Pastry | not in our table | 0 |
| Seed | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Cumin + turmerictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,698 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Cumin + coriandertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,866 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Ginger + turmerictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,776 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Ginger + coriandertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,505 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
-
Turmeric + coriandertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,253 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Chicken thighs
- Slow simmering makes the meat very tender and moist, giving the shredded filling its body.
- Eggs
- Cooked gently until just set, they bind the shredded chicken into a cohesive, moist filling.
- Phyllo pastry sheets
- Thin buttered layers bake into a crisp, flaky, golden shell around the filling.
- Unsalted butter
- Coats the phyllo so it browns and crisps while adding rich flavor.
- Sliced almonds
- Toasted and chopped, they add crunch and nutty aroma to the filling.
The step that matters
Cook the egg only until just set but still slightly soft. Egg cooked fully turns rubbery and dries the filling. A slightly soft egg stays moist and binds the shredded chicken as it cools.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, cumin, ginger, turmeric, pepper, coriander, chicken):
- Capsicumfits better
- Tomatofits better
- Carrotfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against olive, cumin, ginger, turmeric, pepper, coriander, chicken. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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