Chicken shawarma pie from the new cookbook Falastin

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 Photograph: Jenny Zarins

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This is a wow of a pie. Serve it with a crisp green salad and some pickles.

The chicken can be made a day or two ahead of assembling the pie. Keep it in the fridge and just bring it back to room temperature before putting the dish together.

You can also just make the chicken part of the dish. It makes a delicious stew, served with steamed rice or piled into a pita or wrap. If you do this, keep the tahini sauce: it’s always a welcome addition.

Serves 6

chicken thighs 750g, boneless and skinless
garlic 4 cloves, crushed
ginger 2cm piece, peeled and finely grated (15g)
ground cumin 2 tsp
ground coriander 2 tsp
smoked paprika ¾ tsp
ground turmeric ½ tsp
ground cinnamon ¾ tsp
ground cloves ⅛ tsp
olive oil 90ml, plus extra for greasing
cider vinegar 3 tbsp
salt and black pepper
baking potatoes 2 (450g), unpeeled and cut into ½cm thick rounds
unsalted butter 45g
onion 1, thinly sliced (150g)
chicken stock 200ml
parsley leaves 5g, roughly chopped
coriander leaves 5g, roughly chopped
filo 8 sheets (30cm x 38cm)
nigella seeds 1 tsp
Aleppo chilli flakes ¾ tsp (or ⅓ tsp regular chilli flakes)

For the tahini saucetahini 50g
Greek yogurt 80g
garlic 2 cloves, crushed
lemon juice 1 tbsp
salt and black pepper

Put the chicken into a large bowl with the garlic, ginger, ground spices, 1 tablespoon of oil, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Mix to combine, then leave to marinate for at least half an hour (or overnight in the fridge).

Preheat the oven to 180C fan/gas mark 6.

Mix the potatoes with 1½ tablespoons of oil, ¾ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking tray and spread out so that they are not overlapping. Bake for 20 minutes, then increase the oven temperature to 220C fan/gas mark 9. Remove the tray from the oven, carefully flip over each potato slice, then return to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and set aside until needed.

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Reduce the oven temperature to 180C fan/gas mark 6 again (or turn the oven off for now and preheat before baking).

Put 15g of butter and 1½ tablespoons of oil into a large sauté pan and place on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the chicken and cook for about 10 minutes, until lightly brown, then add the stock, ¼ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to medium. Simmer gently for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through. Increase the heat to medium-high and continue to cook for about 8 minutes, or until the liquid has thickened and reduced to about 4 tablespoons. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for about 10 minutes, then use two forks to shred the chicken into large chunks. Stir in the herbs and set aside.

To make the tahini sauce, put the tahini, yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, ⅛ teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of water into a bowl. Whisk together until smooth, then set aside.

Melt the remaining 30g of butter and combine with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Line the base of a 23cm springform cake tin with baking parchment and lightly grease the sides with the butter mixture. Lay a sheet of filo out on a clean work surface and brush with the butter. Transfer this to the tin so that the base is covered and the filo rises up and over the tin’s sides. Repeat with the next sheet of filo, brushing it first with butter, then arranging it in the tin, rotating it slightly so that the excess hangs at a different angle. Continue in this fashion, brushing each piece generously as you go, until you have used up 6 pieces of filo in total and the base and sides are all covered.

Next, add the potato slices, overlapping slightly, so that the base of the pie is completely covered. Top with the chicken mixture and gently push down to even out. Lastly, spoon over the tahini sauce, spreading it gently to coat the chicken layer. Brush a piece of filo with butter and fold it in half horizontally,like a book. Place this over the tahini layer, tucking in the filo around the filling. Brush the top with the butter mixture, then repeat with the last piece of filo, angling it to cover any exposed areas. Now fold over the overhang, crinkling up the filo to create a nice crumpled effect on the top. Brush the top with the remaining butter, sprinkle with the nigella seeds, place on a tray and bake