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Tagine is the name of a wonderful conical Moroccan cooking pot as well as the name of the recipe itself. Tagine recipes are aromatic, flavoursome slow cooked stews of meat, fruit, vegetables and spices.

The tagine pots are half glazed clay pots. The base of the Tagine is both a cooking and serving dish while the cone shaped cover acts like a closed chimney trapping the moisture in the pot during the slow cook. Some Chefs describe the “Tagine” as “a Moroccan microwave”

Traditionally the Tagines would be cooked in Morocco over the coals or open flame but  people can use tagines at home over their gas flames, electric elements or in the oven. Recipes should give you times but depending on the meat, a Tagine serve for two could be from two to three hours on the gas flame.

Alternatively, Tagine recipes will work well using any heavy based casserole or Dutch oven.

Just remember to protect the table if the base of the Tagine is hot.

TAGINE SEASONING

In order to use your cooking tagine and get optimum taste from your recipes, it is highly recommended if not, mandatory that it is seasoned before initial use. Follow these simple instructions below for maximum results: 

• The new tagine needs to be first submerged in water for at least 1 hour.
• Rub the inside of the base and lid with olive oil.
• Put into a cold oven and set temperature at 350 F and leave for 1.5 to 2 hours.

 

This process will strengthen your tagine and insure addition of a distinct flavor that tagine lovers seek at every use.

 

TAGINE CLEANING

It is recommended that you hand wash your tagine, unless stated ’safe for dishwashing mchines’!

 

Do not leave submerged in soapy water.

 

NOTE
Tagines sometimes may look chipped on the sides or the top. As tagines are being fired in traditional kilns, they may stick to each other and they are hand separated, which leaves the impression of a chip – that this is a normal occurence and in no way is a defect.

 

Some tagines are hand-made using basic tools and in somewhat primitive conditions. Small imperfections, such as tight fits and natural color variations are to be expected and valued as part of the non-industrial beauty of the product.

 

Most tagines do not have a hole punched on the lid and its presence makes no difference. It is merely a design preference.

 

Lamb Tagine

Ingredients – serves 4

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon allspice

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

grated rind and juice of 2 lemons

1.2kg diced lamb

1 cup chicken stock

3/4 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup thick, Greek-style yoghurt

1/2 cup pistachio kernels, roughly chopped

couscous, to serve

Method

1. Combine spices and salt in a large bowl. Add oil, rind and half the juice and stir to form a paste. Add lamb and stir until well-coated in paste. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours if time permits.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Put lamb mixture into a casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid. Add stock and remaining lemon juice. Stir until well-combined.
3. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Stir in dried apricot and raisins. Cook, covered for a further 40 minutes or until lamb is tender. Serve immediately with a dollop of yoghurt, sprinkling of pistachio kernels and couscous on the side.

Tagine, Winter Vegetable – with Mograbiah (large cous cous)

 

  

  

  

 

 

  

  

Ingredients -Serves 6 

 

300g mograbiah boiled (large cous cous)

Olive oil

2 brown onions (or 10 whole pearl onions or shallots) chopped

1 inch piece ginger chopped or 1 tsp ground ginger

2 cloves garlic chopped

2 sticks celery cut into inch chunks

1 suede cut into inch cubes (optional)

1 sweet potato

2 carrots cut into batons or inch rounds

4 kipfler potatoes

¼  jap pumpkin in inch cubes

2 cinnamon sticks

3 teaspoons ground coriander

1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch saffron threads

1 orange zested

2 bay leaves

100g dried chickpeas soaked overnight and cooked (or 1 can chickpeas rinsed)

1 tomatoes can peeled and chopped

8 okra cut into inch lengths

150g fresh beans

1 cup fresh peas

1 cup broad beans

100g fresh dates, (or organic sultanas or prunes)

1 lemon, juiced

Fresh coriander

Fresh parsley

100g toasted almond chopped or flaked

1 preserved lemon (pith removed and sliced finely)

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Method

 

Boil cous cous until cooked- aprox 20-30mins. Drain and set aside

Heat oil in a saucepan and add the onions, garlic and fresh ginger.

Fry for a few minutes and add the root vegetables; suede, sweet potato, carrots, potato and pumpkin.

Add the celery when the root vegetables are softened, about 10-15 minutes after you started cooking the root vegetables.

Add cummin and coriander, cinnamon stick, a bay leaf and orange zest and stir to coat all vegetables.

Add okra, green beans, and chickpeas.

Add tomatoes, and saffron threads. Allow to cook down a little and then add water, and cover to cook down further.

Once vegetables are tender, add peas, broad beans and dates. Once all is tender adjust seasoning, adding a little lemon juice for freshness and some chopped fresh herbs.

Sprinkle with flaked almonds, preserved lemon and more herbs (chopped coriander and parsley)

Serve with the cous cous, harissa and mint tea.

CHICKEN TAGINE WITH CORIANDER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 Spanish Onions
• 5 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Lemon juiced
• 1 bunch continental parsley
• 1 bunch Coriander
• sea salt
• Cumin Powder
• Coriander powder
• Chilli powder
• Turmeric Powder to taste
• 1 Whole Chicken chopped into saute style pieces
• Olive Oil
• 1 Spanish Onion chopped into 6
• 2 carrots chopped into large pieces
• 1 small yam chopped into large pieces
• 2 tablespoons Honey
• handful Black Olive
• 1 preserved lemon finely chopped
• Water
• 8 fresh dates stoned removed

 Chermoula paste

• To make the chermoula, simply place all ingredients in a food processor and blend.
• Marinate the chicken well in the paste.
• Heat olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the chicken pieces and saute a couple of minutes, colouring well on all sides.
• Add the honey, vegetables, olives and preserved lemon and mix well.
• Add enough stock or water to liberally cover the chicken and vegetables and braise until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are soft.
• Add the dates and serve with steamed couscous.

CHICKEN OR BEEF TAGINE

 

 

 

 

 Pour olive oil in bottom of tagine

Ingredients

1. Add two chopped red onions
2. Top with thickly sliced brown/white onions
3. Top with 10 chicken pieces
4. Then add 2 sliced tomatoes
5. Add 2-3 thickly sliced potatoes
6. Add more sliced onions on top

Spices

1 tsp cracked pepper

minced garlic

1-1/2 tsp powdered ginger

1-1/2 salt

1-1/2 paprika

1-1/2  cumin

1 bunch coriander (cilantro) chopped

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley chopped

1/2 preserved lemon sliced finely

 

 

Preparation

Saute onions, add garlic, combine dry spices and seasoning, coat chicken, add to onions to brown. Add sliced potatoes,and tomatoes. Add chopped coriander and parsley. Arrange lemon slices around the edge of pan. Add a dash of water, place lid on tagine.  Place on stove top and bring to simmer for half an hour (longer for beef).

Serve with rice or cous cous.