Roasted Root Vegetable and Spiced Almond Bastilla with Herb-Citrus Salad

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a cutting board with a chef's knife, peel, seed, and dice the butternut squash into 1.5cm cubes; peel and dice the carrots and parsnips into 1cm cubes; finely dice the red onion; and mince the garlic.

Spread the diced butternut squash, carrots, parsnips, red onion, and minced garlic onto the prepared rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 40ml olive oil, season with ras el hanout, 3g cinnamon, ginger, 5g fine sea salt, and black pepper, and toss until evenly coated.

Roast the vegetable mixture in the oven at 200C (400F) for 35 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the root vegetables are knife-tender with golden caramelized edges.

Transfer the hot roasted vegetables into a large mixing bowl, gently fold in the chopped medjool dates, chopped flat-leaf parsley, and chopped coriander, then let cool to room temperature.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180C (350F), place the blanched almonds on the rimmed baking sheet, and toast in the oven for 8 minutes until light golden and nutty.

Transfer the toasted almonds to a food processor along with 30g icing sugar, 4g ground cinnamon, and orange blossom water, then pulse into a coarse, pebbly crumb.

Place 100g unsalted butter into a small bowl and melt it completely.

Brush the bottom and sides of a 24cm springform pan with melted butter using a pastry brush.

Line the springform pan with 6 sheets of filo pastry, overlapping them radially like clock spokes with the excess dough hanging over the pan rim, brushing each individual sheet thoroughly with melted butter as it is positioned.

Spread half of the cooled roasted vegetable mixture evenly across the base of the filo pastry.

Sprinkle the pulsed spiced almond crumb evenly across the entire surface of the vegetable layer.

Spread the remaining roasted vegetable mixture over the almond layer, leveling the top gently with a spatula.

Fold the overhanging filo flaps neatly over the top of the filling toward the center, brushing each flap with melted butter as it is folded.

Lay the remaining 4 sheets of filo pastry over the top of the pan, brushing each with melted butter, tucking the outer edges securely down into the inside perimeter of the pan to seal the pastry packet.

Bake the bastilla in the oven at 180C (350F) for 35 minutes until the pastry is uniformly deep golden brown, crisp, and slightly puffed.

Transfer the springform pan to a wire cooling rack and let the pastry rest undisturbed for 10 minutes before releasing and removing the springform collar.

While the pastry rests, use a mandoline slicer to shave the trimmed fennel bulb paper-thin, and supreme the navel oranges into segment wedges on a cutting board using a chef's knife.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, honey, and 2g fine sea salt until a smooth, slightly thickened vinaigrette forms.

Add the shaved fennel, orange segments, arugula, torn mint leaves, and pomegranate arils to the medium mixing bowl and toss gently with the dressing until glossy.

Dust the top of the warm bastilla lightly with 10g icing sugar and 2g ground cinnamon through a fine mesh sieve in a traditional diamond or radial pattern.

Slice the bastilla into 6 equal wedges using a sharp chef's knife with a gentle sawing motion, and serve immediately alongside the dressed salad.