The Magic Of Tagine Cooking: Delicious, Slow-Cooked Meals

Tagine is a North African dish that is cooked in a clay pot with the same name. The word 'tagine' refers to both the pot and the food cooked inside it. The dish is usually a blend of sweet and savoury flavours. The clay pot has a conical lid, which allows steam to circulate during cooking, creating condensation that drips back onto the food, keeping it moist. Tagines are usually made with chicken or lamb, but almost any protein can be used. They are often cooked with vegetables, such as butternut squash, artichoke hearts, peas, and cauliflower.

Tagine cooking tips

Getting Started

Before cooking with your tagine, it's important to ensure that it is suitable for cooking and not just for serving. Cooking tagines are typically more basic in design, whereas decorative serving tagines are often heavily embellished. If in doubt, check with the seller. It's also important to season your tagine before the first use, to prevent cracking. This can be done by soaking the tagine, brushing it with oil, and cooking it in a low-heated oven for a few hours.

Cooking

Always bring your tagine to room temperature before cooking, as placing a cold tagine on a hot surface can cause it to crack. Tagine cooking is a slow process, so be sure to cook your dish on low to medium heat. Use a heat diffuser for extra protection against cracking. When cooking, lightly cook the onion and spices first, then add the meat and pour over the liquid before covering with the lid. Since the tagine creates steam, you don't need to add too much liquid.

Cleaning and Storage

Never put your tagine in the dishwasher—always hand wash it after use. When storing, keep the lid slightly ajar to allow for air circulation and prevent a buildup of flavours.

Tagine-friendly recipes

Moroccan Chicken Tagine

This traditional Moroccan dish involves chicken braised with spices, garlic, onion, olives, and preserved lemons. The chicken is cooked until tender and served with couscous.

Lamb and Butternut Squash Tagine with Apricots

This recipe features lamb cooked with butternut squash, onion, and a blend of spices, including ras el hanout. The natural juices from the lamb create steam that bastes the meat as it cooks, resulting in moist and tender meat.

Root Vegetable and Cauliflower Tagine with Parsley Yogurt

This vegetarian tagine can be served as a main course or side dish. It features a variety of root vegetables and cauliflower cooked with Moroccan spices. It is often served with parsley yogurt, adding a creamy and tangy element to the dish.

Moroccan Meatball Tagine with Lemon and Olives

A fragrant and aromatic dish, this tagine features lamb meatballs cooked in a citrus-infused sauce. The combination of lemon and olives adds a unique flavour to the dish, making it perfect for dinner parties or family gatherings.

Vegetable Tagine with Apricots

A simple yet flavourful dish, this tagine combines vegetables with sweet apricots. It is a quick and easy recipe that captures the essence of Moroccan cuisine.

Seasoning a tagine pot

Soaking:

First, soak the tagine pot, including the lid and base, in water for at least two hours. If you have time, it is recommended to soak it overnight. This step helps to prepare the clay for the next steps in the seasoning process. If your tagine is too large to fit in a bucket or sink, you can fill the lid with water and invert it to soak the base.

Drying:

After soaking, drain the water and let the tagine air-dry. If you are in a hurry, you can use a kitchen towel to pat it dry.

Oiling:

Once the tagine is dry, rub olive oil generously all over the interior and exterior of the pot and lid. Make sure every inch of the tagine is coated with oil. This step helps to seal the pores of the clay and enhance the non-stick properties of the pot.

Baking:

Place the oiled tagine in a cold oven and then turn on the heat to 150°C (300°F). Leave it to "bake" for about two hours. This step helps to cook the oil into the clay, creating a natural non-stick coating and strengthening the structure.

Cooling:

After two hours, turn off the oven and leave the tagine inside to cool down completely. This gradual cooling process is important to avoid thermal shock, which can cause cracking.

Final Oiling:

Once the tagine has cooled, remove it from the oven and coat the interior (base and lid) with olive oil once more. This final step ensures that your tagine is ready for its first use and helps to protect it from cracking during cooking.

Your tagine pot is now seasoned and ready to be used for cooking! Remember to always follow the proper care instructions for your tagine, such as avoiding sudden temperature changes and hand-washing the pot with mild soap or baking soda.

Using a heat diffuser

A heat diffuser is a simple kitchen gadget that sits between your tagine and the flame and helps distribute heat more evenly so your food doesn't scorch. It is essential to use a heat diffuser when cooking with a tagine on an electric stove, as tagines should not come into direct contact with the heat source.

If you don't have a heat diffuser, you can use a metal ring or an upside-down ovenproof dish as a buffer between the pot and the flame. However, it is important to remember that clay tagines are sensitive to heat, so always use your tagine on low to medium heat. If you stick to low temperatures, you can do without a heat diffuser, but using one gives extra security and protects your tagine from cracking.

You can find heat diffusers made from various materials, including tin, steel, aluminized steel, and cast iron. They are inexpensive and can be purchased at most kitchen supply stores. A $20 stainless steel heat diffuser is a good option, but any comparable heat diffuser will work.

Tagine alternatives

Tagines are traditionally made from earthenware and require special care, so many cooks opt for metal or flameproof glazed ceramic tagines, which are more convenient. If you don't have a tagine, you can still cook a tagine dish. Here are some alternatives to using a tagine:

• Dutch Oven: A Dutch oven is a cast-iron or ceramic pot with a tight-fitting lid. It is excellent for quickly cooking tender, flavourful meals and can be used on the stove or in the oven.
• Instant Pot: A multipurpose pressure cooker that can prepare a variety of dishes, including tagine recipes, in 15-20 minutes.
• Slow Cooker: A slow cooker, such as a Crock-Pot, is ideal for preparing tagine recipes. It allows you to cook meals slowly over several hours, resulting in tender meat and vegetables.
• Deep Frying Pan with Lid: A deep frying pan with a lid can be used on the stovetop as an alternative to a tagine.
• Flameproof Casserole Dish: A flameproof casserole dish can be used in the oven as an alternative to a tagine.

Frequently asked questions