Unlocking The Secrets Of Cooking In A Moroccan Tagine

A tagine is a cone-shaped cooking vessel traditionally used in Morocco, ideal for cooking rich, slow-cooked stews. It is made of either ceramic or unglazed clay, with a wide and shallow base and a conical lid that helps return condensed steam to the food. Tagines are perfect for one-pot meals and can be used to cook meat, poultry, or fish. The cooking process involves layering aromatics, meat or vegetables, spices, oil, and water to create a stew-like consistency. While a traditional tagine is ideal for this style of cooking, it is also possible to use alternative cookware such as a Dutch oven or cast-iron pan.

How to prepare your tagine for cooking

Preparing your tagine for cooking involves several steps, from seasoning to layering. Here is a comprehensive guide to help you prepare your tagine for a delicious meal.

Firstly, it is important to season your tagine before its first use. This is applicable to both ceramic and unglazed clay tagines, with the latter adding a rustic, earthy flavour and aroma to your dish. It is also crucial to ensure that your tagine does not come into direct contact with the heat source. If you are using an electric stove or a flat cooktop, it is advisable to use a diffuser.

Now, let's move on to arranging the base layer. The first step is to create a bed of sliced onions at the bottom of your tagine. This layer will prevent the meat from sticking and burning. You can also use chopped onions or other vegetables like celery or carrots, crisscrossing them to form a bed for delicate ingredients.

Next, add garlic to the mix. You can chop or press the garlic cloves or leave them whole. Adding garlic at this stage ensures it cooks thoroughly and blends well with the sauce.

Don't be shy with the oil! Ample oil is essential for a rich sauce, so use the amount specified in your recipe, typically between 1/4 to 1/3 cup. Moroccan cooks often blend olive oil and vegetable oil, balancing flavour and frugality.

At this point, you can also brown the meat separately in a skillet, although it is not mandatory. If you decide to brown the meat, remember that a clay or ceramic tagine should not be used over high heat.

Now, let's move on to arranging the meat. Place the meat, poultry, or fish in the centre of the tagine, with the bone-side down if using meat on the bone, to prevent scorching. Create a mound of meat to allow space for plenty of vegetables around it.

In the next step, you can mix your Moroccan spices. Combining the spices beforehand ensures an even distribution of seasoning. You can mix them in a bowl and coat the vegetables and meat evenly before adding them to the tagine, or sprinkle them directly into the assembled dish.

Distribute a generous amount of the spice mixture over the meat and onions, using up to 2/3 of the blend. Concentrate the seasoning on the onions to enhance the flavour of the sauce.

Finally, arrange the vegetables and season them with the remaining spice mixture. In a Berber-style tagine, the vegetables are arranged in a conical fashion, creating a beautiful presentation. You can also add strips or slices of bell peppers, preserved lemons, olives, and herbs like parsley and cilantro.

How to layer the ingredients

When layering the ingredients in a tagine, the first step is to create a base layer of sliced onions. This prevents the meat from sticking to the bottom and burning. You can scatter the onions or arrange them in a crisscross pattern, especially if you are making a fish tagine.

Next, add the garlic. You can chop or press it, or leave the cloves whole. This will ensure that the garlic cooks through and melds with the sauce.

Add a generous amount of oil—about 1/4 to 1/3 cup—to form the foundation of a rich sauce. Many Moroccan cooks use a mix of olive oil and vegetable oil.

Arrange the meat, poultry, or fish in the centre of the tagine, bone-side-down if using meat on the bone. Create a mound so that you can add lots of vegetables around it.

Sprinkle the meat and onions with a spice mixture. You can use a combination of salt, pepper, ginger, paprika, cumin, turmeric, saffron, and cayenne pepper, or mix your own combination of spices.

Add the vegetables and season them with the rest of the spice mixture. You can layer the vegetables around the meat or arrange them in a conical fashion. Try to get them to stand upright for a lovely presentation.

Add colour and flavour by garnishing with bell pepper, preserved lemon, olives, and an herb bouquet of parsley and cilantro. You can also add a jalapeño or chili pepper for an extra kick.

How to cook the meat

Meat, poultry, or fish is usually placed in the centre of the tagine. If you are using meat on the bone, place the pieces bone-side-down to reduce the risk of scorching the meat. For this recipe, arrange the meat into a mound in the centre so you can add lots of vegetables around the perimeter.

Some recipes may instruct you to brown the meat first, but this is not necessary. If you do decide to brown the meat, it is best done in a separate skillet since a clay or ceramic tagine should not be used over high heat.

When using a tagine, the vegetables are usually added at the very beginning of cooking, along with the meat. Some recipes call for layering the vegetables around the meat, but in a Berber-style tagine, they are arranged in a conical fashion. Although it is challenging, try to get them to stand upright, as it makes a lovely presentation. Once you've added the vegetables, season them with the rest of your spice mixture.

Now you can dress up the tagine with colour and flavour by adding strips or slices of bell pepper, preserved lemon, olives, and an herb bouquet of parsley and cilantro. A jalapeño or chilli pepper is optional.

The last step before you place the tagine on the stove is to add water (or stock or broth) to the tagine. Be aware that you should not add a hot liquid to a cold tagine, and vice versa, as thermal shock can crack a clay or ceramic tagine.

If a recipe doesn't specify how much water to add, follow the general rule of thumb of 2 to 2 1/2 cups of water for a large lamb or beef tagine with vegetables (half that amount of water for chicken due to shorter cooking time), and 1 to 1 1/4 cups water for a small lamb or beef tagine with vegetables (or half that amount for chicken).

To avoid cracking or breaking a clay or ceramic tagine, make sure it sits above the heat source and not directly on it (use a diffuser if you have an electric stove or flat cooktop). Place the tagine over low to medium-low heat and be patient while the tagine slowly reaches a simmer.

A beef tagine could require about 3 hours of simmering; chicken might need only half that time, while lamb can take an hour longer.

How to season the dish

The first step in making a tagine is to arrange a layer of sliced onions across the base, creating a bed for the remaining ingredients. This prevents the meat from sticking to the bottom and burning. You can scatter chopped onions or perhaps celery or carrots to make a bed for fragile ingredients, such as fish. Small bamboo sticks can also be used.

Next, add garlic. You can use a garlic press, or chop the garlic, or leave the cloves whole. Adding the garlic with the ingredients at the bottom ensures it will fully cook and meld with the sauce.

Ample oil is the foundation of a rich sauce in a tagine, so don't be afraid to use the full amount called for in a recipe. Most tagine recipes specify 1/4 to 1/3 cup of oil. If you reduce the oil, you will end up with less sauce or a watery sauce. Many Moroccan cooks will use a mix of olive oil and vegetable oil.

Meat, poultry, or fish is usually arranged in the centre of the tagine. If using meat on the bone, place the pieces bone-side-down to reduce the risk of scorching the meat. Arrange the meat into a mound so you can add lots of vegetables around the perimeter.

Although not necessary, combining your Moroccan spices before using them allows for a more even distribution of seasoning. You can also mix the spices in a large bowl and toss the vegetables and meat in the spices to coat everything evenly before adding to the tagine. Alternatively, sprinkle the spices one at a time directly into the assembled tagine.

Distribute some of the spice mixture over the meat and onions. You can use up to 2/3 of the mixture at this step, concentrating the seasoning on the onions so the spices will meld with the oil and liquids to make a rich, flavorful sauce. The reserved spices will be used to season the vegetables.

When using a tagine, the vegetables are usually added at the very beginning of cooking, along with the meat. Some recipes call for layering the vegetables around the meat, but in a Berber-style tagine, they are arranged in a conical fashion. Try to get them to stand upright, as it makes a lovely presentation. Once you've added the vegetables, season them with the rest of your spice mixture.

Now you can dress up the tagine with colour and flavour by adding strips or slices of bell pepper, preserved lemon, olives, and an herb bouquet of parsley and cilantro. A jalapeño or chilli pepper is optional.

How to serve your tagine

Tagines are great for serving food straight from the oven to the table. They are also good for keeping food warm. However, it is best to let the tagine cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving to avoid burnt fingers and tongues.

In Morocco, it is traditional to eat communally from the tagine, using pieces of Moroccan bread to scoop up the sauce, vegetables, and meat. If you want to follow this tradition, serve your tagine with Moroccan bread or Khobz. Krachel, a brioche-style bread flavoured with anise seeds, sesame seeds, and orange blossom water, is another good option to serve with a tagine.

You can also serve your tagine with couscous. This can be prepared as a warm bed for the tagine to sit on, or on the side. Rice is another option to serve with a tagine, as are French fries.

If you are serving a vegetarian tagine, you could also provide some bread or couscous on the side, or even some rice or quinoa if you want to make the meal gluten-free.

Frequently asked questions