Unleash Delicious Flavors With Moroccan Tagine Cooking

A tagine is a traditional Moroccan clay or ceramic cooking vessel used to make rich, slow-cooked stews. The base is wide and shallow, while the lid is conical, helping to return condensed steam to the food. Tagines are traditionally used to cook meat, poultry, or fish, layered with aromatics, vegetables, spices, oil, and water. While not necessary, a tagine can enhance the flavours and textures of a meal.

How to prepare your tagine for cooking

A tagine is a cone-shaped cooking vessel traditionally used in Morocco, typically made from either ceramic or unglazed clay. The wide, shallow base and conical lid help to return condensed steam to the food, keeping it moist as it cooks.

Before using your tagine for the first time, it's important to season it. This process will differ depending on the material of your tagine, so be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.

When preparing your tagine for cooking, the first step is to create a base layer of sliced onions. This will prevent any meat from sticking to the bottom and burning. You can also add chopped onions, or perhaps crisscross celery or carrots to form a bed for more delicate ingredients, such as fish.

Next, add garlic. You can chop it, press it, or leave the cloves whole. Adding the garlic at this stage ensures it will be fully cooked and well-incorporated into your sauce.

Now, it's time to add your oil. Don't skimp on this—a generous amount of oil is the foundation of a rich sauce. Most tagine recipes call for 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of oil. If you're using a clay or ceramic tagine, avoid using high heat, as this can damage the vessel.

For this next step, you'll need to decide on your protein. Meat, poultry, or fish can be added at this stage, usually arranged in the centre of the tagine. If you're using meat on the bone, place the pieces bone-side-down to reduce the risk of scorching.

Now, it's time to mix your spices. Combining your Moroccan spices beforehand ensures a more even distribution of seasoning. You can also sprinkle them directly onto the ingredients or toss your meat and vegetables in the spices before adding them to the tagine.

Distribute some of your spice mixture over the meat and onions, using up to 2/3 of the mixture at this stage. The spices will meld with the oil and liquids to create a rich, flavourful sauce.

Arrange your vegetables and season them with the remaining spice mixture. In a Berber-style tagine, the vegetables are arranged in a conical fashion, standing upright for a beautiful presentation.

Finally, add some colour and flavour by including strips or slices of bell pepper, preserved lemon, olives, and an herb bouquet of parsley and cilantro. A jalapeño or chilli pepper is optional.

Now your tagine is ready to go on the stove! Just be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for safe cooking.

How to make a vegetable tagine

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped
• 8–10 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 tbsp Harissa spice blend or 1 1/2 teaspoons ras el hanout
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 cups canned whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 cup heaping chopped dried apricot
• 1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth (or broth of your choice)
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas
• Handful fresh parsley leaves
• Salt
• Lemon juice

Method:

First, heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and increase the heat to medium-high. Sauté for 5 minutes, tossing regularly.

Next, add the garlic and all the chopped veggies. Season with salt and spices, then toss to combine. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes on medium-high heat, mixing regularly with a wooden spoon.

Now, add the tomatoes, apricot, and broth. Season again with a small dash of salt. Keep the heat on medium-high and cook for 10 minutes. Then, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.

Stir in the chickpeas and cook for another 5 minutes on low heat. Finally, stir in lemon juice and fresh parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or Harissa spice blend to your liking.

Serve in bowls with a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy with your favorite bread, couscous, or rice!

Tips:

• Tagines are traditionally cooked in a clay or ceramic pot, wide at the bottom and topped with a narrow, cone-shaped cover. However, you can use a Dutch Oven instead.
• Be sure to season your tagine before first use.
• Tagines should not come into direct contact with the heat source, so if you have an electric stove, you will need to use a diffuser.
• To avoid cracking or breaking a clay or ceramic tagine, make sure it sits above the heat source and not directly on it.
• You can use any vegetables you want in this recipe.

How to make a chicken tagine

Ingredients

Chicken tagine is a traditional Moroccan dish of chicken braised with spices, garlic, onion, olives, and preserved lemons. It is usually served with couscous. Here are the ingredients you will need:

• Chicken thighs
• Spices (such as cumin, cayenne pepper, ginger, coriander, cinnamon)
• Garlic
• Onion
• Olive oil
• Chicken broth
• Carrots
• Olives
• Cilantro
• Lemon
• Honey
• Salt and pepper
• Flour (optional)

Method

First, combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan or tagine over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until softened. Add the chicken thighs and brown on both sides. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Next, add the spices, flour (if using), and chicken broth to the pan. Stir well and add the chicken back to the pan. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the carrots and continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender.

Finally, stir in the olives, lemon zest, garlic, cilantro, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice if desired. Serve with couscous.

Tips

• You can use a whole chicken or bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe.
• If using skin-on chicken thighs, remove the skin midway through cooking.
• Don't be afraid to use a generous amount of oil, as this is the foundation of a rich sauce in a tagine.
• If you don't have a tagine, you can use a large cast-iron braiser, a wide Dutch oven, or a heavy-covered skillet.

How to make a lamb tagine

Ingredients

• Lamb
• Olive oil
• Onions
• Garlic
• Spices (e.g. cinnamon, cumin, ginger, coriander, saffron, cayenne pepper)
• Vegetables (e.g. carrots, butternut squash, tomatoes, apricots)
• Stock or broth
• Honey
• Couscous or rice, to serve
• Fresh herbs, to serve (optional)

Method

• Start by arranging a layer of sliced onions across the base of your tagine (or heavy-bottomed pot if you don't have a tagine). This will prevent the meat from sticking and burning.
• Add garlic – you can chop it, crush it, or leave the cloves whole.
• Add a generous amount of oil – this is the foundation of a rich sauce. Most recipes specify 1/4 to 1/3 cup of oil. You can use a mix of olive oil and vegetable oil.
• Place the lamb in the centre of the tagine, bone-side-down if using meat on the bone. You can brown the meat first in a separate skillet, but this isn't necessary.
• Mix your chosen spices in a small bowl and sprinkle over the meat and onions. You can also toss the meat and vegetables in the spices before adding them to the tagine.
• Arrange the vegetables around the meat. In a Berber-style tagine, they are arranged in a conical fashion.
• Add colour and flavour with strips of bell pepper, preserved lemon, olives, and fresh herbs like parsley and cilantro.
• Pour in water, stock, or broth. Be careful not to add a hot liquid to a cold tagine, and vice versa, as this can cause the tagine to crack.
• Place the tagine over low to medium-low heat and be patient – it can take up to half an hour for the tagine to reach a simmer.
• Once simmering, leave it undisturbed to slowly stew. A lamb tagine can take around 1-2 hours to cook.
• Check the liquid level after about 2 hours. If it has reduced to a sauce-like consistency, add more water.
• When the meat is tender, serve the tagine with couscous or rice, and sprinkle with fresh herbs if desired.

How to serve your tagine

Tagines are great for serving food straight from the pot to the table. They are also good for holding food warm. However, it's best to let the tagine cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving to avoid burnt fingers.

Traditionally, tagines are served with Moroccan bread to scoop up the sauce, vegetables, and meat. Other options include couscous, rice, quinoa, or mashed potato or cauliflower.

If you want the full Moroccan tagine experience, you can serve it with traditional Moroccan bread, side salads, and Moroccan coffee.

Frequently asked questions