115 – Mini Shrimp Bastila Recipe – Ramadan Specials

Ingredients :

• 9 oz of uncooked shrimp
• 2 small rolls of Chinese vermicelli (also known as bean thread)
• 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms (can also use another variety of dried black mushrooms)
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 scallion heads
• 1 tomato
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
• Some hot chili pepper
• Pinch of saffron
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• In Morocco they use a pastry called WAKU but if you cant find it, feel free to use spring roll pastry or filler
• dough
• Butter
• 1 egg
• Shredded swiss cheese or any cheese of choice that melts easily

Directions :

Step 1 – Preparing the Filling
1. Pour hot water over the dried mushrooms and let it sit for 10-15 minutes or until they become soft
2. Grate the tomato
3. Slice the scallions
4. Mince the garlic
5. Cook shrimp in boiling water and add the (2) bay leaves to the water
6. While shrimp is cooking, drain mushrooms from water and cut into small pieces
7. Keep water that mushrooms soak in because you will use it later
8. When shrimp becomes pink, you will know it’s cooked.
9. Remove shrimp from water and put it in a bowl
10. Clean shrimp from shells and cut into small pieces
11. Add 1-cup of the water that mushrooms were soaking into water that shrimp cooked in
12. Bring water mixture to a boiling point (it will be used to cook vermicelli
13. Once water boils, cook vermicelli for 5 minutes. Once it is cooked, drain from water
14. Use scissors to cut vermicelli into small pieces

Step 2 – Sauté the Filling
1. Last step is to sauté all ingredients in a pan
2. On medium heat, drizzle olive oil into pan and add garlic and scallions
3. Add tomato
4. Add spices
5. Let tomato cook 2-3 minutes
6. Add mushrooms
7. Add cilantro
8. Cook mushrooms a few minutes
9. Add shrimp
10. Add vermicelli
11. Taste mixture and add spices accordingly
12. Transfer mixture into a bowl
13. Let filling completely cool down before using Bastila

Step 3 – Assemble the Bastila
1. Melt butter and beat egg
2. Spring roll pastry gets dry quickly so while working, cover it with a damp towel
3. Now assemble the Bastila. Use a small circular dish to shape them
4. Brush pastry with melted butter then add filing, cover with cheese, shape the bastila and brush with an egg
5. Brush dish with melted butter
6. Cover in parchment paper
7. Place (2) pastries in each side of dish and brush them with the melted butter
8. Place a sheet in the center, brush it with butter
9. Add filling in center and cheese on top
10. Bring each side of the pastry to the center and brush with an egg
11. Add one more pastry on top and brush with butter
12. Turn over plate and brush bottom with egg
13. Place mini bastila on baking sheet and brush top with egg
14. Pre-heat oven to 400°
15. Bastila is done when surface is golden brown. Serve immediately.