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Pastilla bil Hout (Spiced Seafood and Vermicelli Filo Pie)

Name: Pastilla bil Hout (Spiced Seafood and Vermicelli Filo Pie)
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Morocco
Ingredients: 400 g firm skinless white fish fillets (monkfish or cod), cut into 3cm chunks; 350 g raw peeled and deveined medium shrimp; 300 g cleaned squid tubes, sliced into thin rings; 150 g bean thread vermicelli or rice vermicelli; 12 sheets warqa pastry (or thin filo pastry); 120 g Moroccan charmoula (coriander, parsley, garlic, cumin, paprika, lemon juice, olive oil); 40 g preserved lemon, rind only, finely minced; 30 g red harissa paste; 15 ml dark soy sauce; 100 g unsalted butter, melted; 100 g grated Edam or mild Gouda cheese; 45 ml extra virgin olive oil

An opulent Moroccan savory pie layered with spiced white fish, calamari, shrimp, and vermicelli encased in crackling warqa.

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seafoodcelebratorypastry-piecoastal-morocco

The story

Hailing from the coastal Atlantic and Mediterranean centers like Casablanca, Rabat, and Tangier, Pastilla bil Hout is reserved for grand weddings and celebratory banquets. It evolved as a coastal counterpart to the imperial poultry pastilla, eschewing sugar and cinnamon in favor of a fiery, tangy charmoula profile. A critical culinary detail is sautéing each seafood variety separately at high heat to prevent moisture leakage, which would otherwise steam the delicate pastry leaves and ruin their signature crispness.

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