Mastering Tagine Cooking In The Oven

Tagine is a Moroccan dish that is cooked in a clay or ceramic vessel with the same name. The word tagine refers to both the pot and the food cooked inside it. The pot has a distinctive conical lid, which allows steam to circulate and condense, keeping the food moist. Tagines are traditionally cooked over a smouldering charcoal fire, but can also be cooked slowly in an oven or on a stovetop. Before using a tagine for the first time, it's important to season it to strengthen the clay or ceramic and prevent cracking. This involves soaking the tagine, brushing it with oil, and cooking it in a low-heated oven for a couple of hours. When cooking with a tagine, it's important to avoid extreme temperature changes and always use low to medium heat. Tagines are perfect for rich, slow-cooked stews and can be used to create amazing flavours that your family and friends will love.

How to season a tagine before first use

To season a tagine before its first use, follow these steps:

Firstly, make sure you have the correct type of tagine. Authentic clay or glazed ceramic Moroccan tagines are wonderful pieces of cookware used to create flavourful Moroccan dishes. If your tagine is unglazed, it will need to be seasoned to remove a raw clay taste.

Before seasoning, you must soak the tagine. Fill a large basin, sink, or bathtub with water and submerge the entire tagine, including the lid, for at least two hours, or overnight. If you cannot fully submerge the tagine, slowly fill the base with water until it stops absorbing. Drain the water and let the tagine air dry.

Next, if your tagine is unglazed, rub olive oil on the interior and exterior of the lid and base. If your tagine is glazed, rub olive oil only on the inside of the base and lid. Place the tagine in a cold oven and set the temperature to between 150°C (300°F) and 350°. Leave it to bake for about two hours.

After two hours, turn off the oven and leave the tagine to cool down completely inside the oven. Once cooled, wash the tagine by hand and coat the interior with olive oil before storing or using.

Now your tagine is ready to use! When cooking with your tagine, remember to avoid subjecting it to extreme changes in temperature. Start cooking with low heat and then proceed to medium heat. Do not place a hot tagine on a cold surface, and do not wash your tagine in the dishwasher. Always hand wash and dry thoroughly before storing.

Tips for cooking with a tagine

Tagines are a great way to cook up a storm, but there are a few things to keep in mind to get the most out of your cooking experience and protect your tagine from damage. Here are some tips to help you get started:

• Season your tagine before first use: This is an important step to strengthen the tagine and prepare it for cooking. The process involves soaking the tagine, brushing it with oil, and heating it in the oven for a couple of hours.
• Be mindful of temperature changes: Tagines are sensitive to extreme temperature changes, so avoid placing a hot tagine on a cold surface or vice versa. When using an oven, place the cold tagine inside before turning it on to avoid thermal shock.
• Use low to medium heat: Tagines are typically cooked over low to medium heat. This helps prevent scorching and protects the tagine from cracking.
• Use a heat diffuser: A heat diffuser is a flat metal paddle that sits between the burner and the tagine to distribute heat evenly and prevent cracking. It's especially important if you're using a clay or ceramic tagine.
• Bring the tagine to room temperature before cooking: Placing a cold tagine on a hot surface can cause it to crack, especially if it's made of unglazed earthenware.
• Use oil generously: Oil is essential when cooking with a tagine. Don't be shy with it, as it will help create a delicious sauce for dipping.
• Less is more when it comes to water: The cone-shaped lid of a tagine condenses steam and returns it to the dish, so you don't need to add too much water. If you add too much, reduce the liquids at the end to create a thick sauce.
• Patience is key: Tagine cooking is a slow process. Let the tagine reach a simmer slowly and try not to interrupt the cooking by frequently lifting the lid.
• Use authentic recipes: Traditional Moroccan recipes are best suited for tagine cooking as they take into account the unique characteristics of the cookware.

What to cook in a tagine

Tagine is a Moroccan dish that is cooked in a clay or ceramic vessel, also called a tagine. The word "tagine" refers to both the pot and the food cooked inside it. Tagines are ideal for cooking rich, slow-cooked stews of meat, poultry, or fish, and they make perfect one-pot meals to share.

• Bring the tagine to room temperature before cooking. Do not place a cold tagine on a hot surface as it can crack.
• Lightly cook the onion and spices first. Then, add the meat and pour over the liquid before covering with the lid.
• Since the tagine lid is conical, it allows steam to circulate and condense, dripping back onto the ingredients and keeping them moist. Therefore, you don't need to add too much liquid to the dish.
• Tagines are typically used on the stovetop, but they can also be placed in the oven. If using an oven, place the cold tagine in a cold oven and set the temperature to no more than 325-350°F (162-176°C).
• Always use low to medium-low heat with a tagine to avoid damaging it or scorching the food.
• Oil is essential when cooking with a tagine. Use between 1/4 to 1/3 cup of oil for recipes serving 4 to 6 people.
• Tagines are great for slow-cooked, one-pot meals such as stews, meat dishes, and meatballs.
• Moroccan chicken meatball tagine
• Vegetable tagine with apricots
• Lamb tagine with preserved lemon and olives
• Moroccan Berber tagine with lamb or beef and vegetables
• Vegetarian Moroccan mixed vegetable tagine
• Moroccan lamb or beef tagine with peas and artichokes
• Tagine of shrimp in tomato sauce

How to clean a tagine

To clean a tagine, you must first allow it to cool down. Do not plunge a hot tagine into cold water, as this will cause thermal shock damage. Once cool, you can wash your tagine with very mild soapy warm water, baking soda or vinegar, and rinse well. Leave the tagine to dry thoroughly, and then lightly coat the interior of the lid and base with olive oil before storing.

It is important to store your tagine with the lid slightly ajar to allow for air circulation and prevent a build-up of flavours and mould. Glazed ceramic tagines are particularly susceptible to mould, so this step is crucial. If mould does develop, simply wash the tagine and lightly coat it with olive oil before using.

Some discolouration or staining of the tagine is normal and even desirable, as it indicates frequent use and will impart an earthy taste to food. To speed up this process, you can "cure" the tagine by rubbing it with ashes and oil and leaving it in a slow oven for eight hours or longer.

The history of the tagine

The tagine is a Maghrebi dish, named after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. The Arabic word طاجين (ṭajīn) is derived from the Ancient Greek τάγηνον (tágēnon), meaning 'frying pan' or 'saucepan'. The origin of the word 'tajine' is Persian, according to some sources.

In the 1990s, pottery fragments identified in Tunisia and Scotland's Antonine Wall suggested that a precursor to the modern tagine may have been used as early as Roman times.

The tagine is a Moroccan dish but is also common throughout the North African region known as the Maghreb, which includes Algeria and Tunisia. The earliest versions of the dish, recorded in the 10th century, represent the intersection of two cultures: those of the native Berbers and the Muslim Arabs of the conquest. The tagine was born when the spices of the Middle East met the stews of indigenous Berber cuisine.

These spices and flavours had entered Middle Eastern cuisine with the spread of Islam across the region. In the 7th century, as the capital of the Muslim Caliphate moved from Mecca to Damascus, Muslims encountered Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Persians and Franks across the Arabian desert, and cinnamon and cardamom were added to the pantry. In the 8th century, the capital moved again, this time to Baghdad, and by the 9th century, the cuisine had become saturated with spices, dried fruits, nuts, honey and perfumed essences.

These ingredients gradually found their way to the Maghreb, heavily influencing the local cuisine, including what would become the tagine. Although contemporary North African cooking is somewhat simpler than its ornate past, many of those perfumed, spiced and honeyed flavours remain.

Frequently asked questions