The Magic Of Tagine Cooking: A Uk Guide

The tagine is a traditional Moroccan dish, common throughout North Africa, that has become popular in France and beyond. It is cooked in a clay or ceramic pot with a conical lid, also called a tagine, which helps to steam the food and create a rich, flavourful sauce. The word tagine refers to both the pot and the food cooked inside it. Tagine recipes usually involve layering aromatics, meat, and vegetables, along with spices, oil, and water. The dish is often served with flatbread for dipping in the sauce.

How to prepare your tagine pot for cooking

Before you start cooking with your tagine, there are a few important steps to follow to protect your pot from breaking or cracking. Firstly, bring your tagine to room temperature before cooking. Placing a cold tagine on a hot surface can cause it to crack. Secondly, seasoning your tagine pot is essential. Seasoning involves preparing the base and lid for future use by sealing and strengthening its structure. To season your tagine, soak it in water, brush it with oil, and cook it in a low-heated oven for a couple of hours. This process only needs to be done once before the first use.

If you have an electric stove or flat cooktop, you will need to use a diffuser as the tagine should not come into direct contact with the heat source. Additionally, always use your tagine on low to medium heat as clay tagines are sensitive to temperature changes. Using a heat diffuser will provide extra protection and help prevent cracking. When adding liquid to your tagine during cooking, always use warm or room-temperature liquid to avoid thermal shock, which can also cause cracking.

Finally, when storing your tagine, keep the lid slightly ajar to allow for air circulation and prevent a buildup of flavours. With these preparation and care tips in mind, you can start cooking delicious tagine recipes!

What ingredients to use

Tagine recipes traditionally layer aromatics, meat, and vegetables, along with spices, oil, and water. The conical lid of the tagine allows steam to circulate during cooking, creating condensation that drips back onto the ingredients, keeping them moist. This means that you don't need to add too much liquid to the dish.

Step 1: Prepare the Base Layer

Create a bed of sliced onions at the bottom of the tagine. This will prevent the meat from sticking to the pot and burning. You can also add other aromatics such as garlic, celery, or carrots. Lightly cook these ingredients in oil for a few minutes.

Step 2: Add Meat and Vegetables

Place your choice of meat, fish, or poultry on top of the layer of vegetables. Surround it with vegetables such as carrots, celery, or peppers. If using meat on the bone, place the pieces bone-side-down to reduce the risk of scorching.

Step 3: Add Spices and Garnishes

Tagine recipes commonly feature a blend of sweet and savoury flavours. You can add fragrant spices such as cinnamon, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, paprika, peppercorn, coriander, ginger, and turmeric. For a traditional Moroccan flavour profile, mix salt, pepper, ginger, paprika, cumin, turmeric, saffron, and a little cayenne pepper. You can also add garnishes like oregano or cilantro.

Step 4: Add Liquid

Add a small amount of water or broth to the tagine to help keep the food moist. You can also use stock or broth instead of water. Remember, you don't need to add too much liquid as the lid will keep the steam inside.

Step 5: Cook

Place your tagine over low to medium heat and slow cook for a long simmer. Recipes vary, but generally, you should allow for around two hours of cooking time.

Step 6: Serve

Once cooked, let your tagine stand for 15 minutes before serving. Tagines can also be used as serving dishes, but be sure to protect your table as the base will be hot.

How to layer the ingredients

When layering the ingredients in your tagine, start with a layer of vegetables at the bottom. This will help prevent the meat from burning and sticking to the pot. You can use onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Lightly cook these ingredients with some cooking oil for a few minutes. Next, add your meat, fish or chicken, placing it in the centre of the pot. Surround it with more vegetables. You can also add spices such as cinnamon, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, paprika, peppercorn, coriander, ginger and turmeric. Pour in some olive oil and then add your liquid base—water or broth. Don't add too much liquid as the tagine's lid will keep the steam inside.

Cooking methods and timings

Tagine cooking is a slow-cooking method that requires very little work from the cook. The first step is to bring the tagine to room temperature before cooking. If you place a cold tagine on a hot surface, it may crack.

To start cooking, lightly cook the onion and spices. You can use a garlic press or chop the garlic, or leave the cloves whole. Ample oil is the foundation of a rich sauce in a tagine, so don't be afraid to use a generous amount. Most recipes specify between 1/4 and 1/3 cup of oil. Next, add the meat and pour over the liquid, then cover with the lid. Since the tagine creates steam as it cooks, you don't need to add too much liquid to the dish.

Place the tagine in the oven or on the stovetop over low to medium heat and slow cook for a long simmer. Recipes vary, but generally, you should allow around two hours for the dish to cook. If the liquid base has thickened, add more water or broth to keep it light.

Once cooked, let the tagine stand on its own for 15 minutes before serving. Remember to protect your table, as the base will be hot.

How to serve a tagine

Tagines are traditionally served straight from the pot, with the food inside. This means that the tagine itself acts as a serving dish, which is great because it looks impressive and also keeps the food warm. However, remember to protect your table or work surface, as the base of the tagine will be hot.

It is also best to let the tagine cool for 10-15 minutes before serving, to avoid burnt fingers and tongues. In Morocco, it is traditional to eat communally from the tagine, using pieces of flatbread to scoop up the food. You can use any type of flatbread, such as pita, and it can be served at room temperature or warmed. If you warm the bread, keep it wrapped in a cloth so that it retains the heat.

You can also serve a tagine with couscous, either on the side or spread on a platter with the tagine poured on top. Polenta is another good, though less traditional, option.

Frequently asked questions