If you have eaten in a broad cross-section of New York restaurants, chances are you’ve come across some strange pairings. One such dish is Moroccan bastilla, or pigeon pie — a savory blend of chicken, eggs, and aromatics encased in a filo crust that is sprinkled with powdered sugar just before service.
Another item that combines sweet and normally savory ingredients is kazandibi, a caramelized milk pudding that traces its origins to the Ottoman Empire.
A main ingredient of the dish, which can be found on the dessert menu of the restaurant Nar in the Flatiron District, is chicken breast. The name in Turkish means “bottom of the pan,” which is a reference to the fact that the pudding becomes stuck to the sides and bottom of the pan while cooking. It is this exposure to high heat that gives the finished product its deep golden color.
If kanzadibi is a little too exotic for you, try the cennet camuru, or “heaven’s mud”— house-made vanilla ice cream served over shredded kataifi pastry and pistachio.
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