Moroccan · Pastry
Tangier Fish Pastilla with Vermicelli
Tangier's seafood pastilla is a savoury departure from the sweet pigeon version — crisp warqa pastry enclosing a filling of mixed fish and seafood, glassy vermicelli, herbs and a chilli-spiked charmoula, baked until shatteringly golden. Coastal and modern, it is a showpiece of the northern city's blend of Moroccan and Mediterranean tastes.
- Prep
- 50 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 85 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Advanced
Ingredients
- 500 g mixed seafood (white fish, prawns, squid), diced
- 100 g fine rice vermicelli, soaked
- 1 bunch coriander and parsley, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne
- Juice of 1 lemon and 4 tbsp olive oil
- 10 sheets warqa or filo pastry
- 100 g butter, melted
- 1 egg, beaten, salt and pepper
Method
- 1
Cook the filling
Sauté the seafood in the charmoula of garlic, herbs, cumin, paprika, cayenne, lemon and oil until just cooked, then drain off excess liquid.
- 2
Add vermicelli
Cut the soaked vermicelli and fold it through the seafood with a little beaten egg to bind; season and cool.
- 3
Line the tin
Brush a round tin with butter and overlap warqa sheets up and over the sides.
- 4
Fill and seal
Spoon in the seafood filling, fold the pastry over the top and cover with more buttered sheets, tucking the edges under.
- 5
Bake
Brush with butter and bake at 190°C for about 30 minutes until crisp and deep golden; serve hot.
Chef's tips
- Drain the filling well so the pastry stays crisp and doesn't turn soggy from seafood liquid.
- Keep spare warqa or filo covered so it doesn't dry and crack while you assemble.
- Serve it fresh from the oven; savoury pastilla is at its best when the crust still shatters.
Frequently asked questions
Is fish pastilla sweet like the pigeon version?
No; the seafood pastilla is savoury and often spicy, without the icing sugar and cinnamon of the classic sweet-savoury pigeon or chicken pastilla.
Can I assemble it ahead?
Assemble a few hours ahead and refrigerate, then bake fresh so the pastry crisps properly just before serving.