Unleashing Tagine Paste's Magic: A Beginner's Guide To Flavorful Cooking

Tagine is a traditional Moroccan dish, cooked in a clay pot with a cone-shaped lid, also called a tagine. The dish is a stew, with a balance of sweet and savoury flavours, and can be made with meat, fish, or vegetables. Tagine paste is made with spices, oil, and water, and can be used as a base for a variety of tagine recipes.

How to make a chermoula paste

Chermoula paste is a popular condiment in North African and Moroccan cuisines. It is a versatile paste that can be used as a marinade for meat, chicken, shrimp, or fish, or even tossed with roasted veggies. It can also be used as a finishing sauce to be poured over cooked food.

To make a chermoula paste, you will need the following ingredients:

• Fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley
• Ground spices like cumin, paprika, coriander, red pepper flakes, ginger, and saffron (optional)
• Garlic
• Lemon juice and zest
• Olive oil
• Salt

• Combine all the ingredients, except the olive oil, in a blender or small food processor.
• Blend the ingredients until you have a thick, pasty mixture. You can add more olive oil if needed to achieve the desired consistency.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your preference.
• Your chermoula paste is now ready to be used!

Note: Chermoula paste can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze it for later use.

How to make a ras el hanout spice mix

Ras el hanout is a complex, aromatic spice blend commonly used in Moroccan cuisine. The name translates from Arabic as "head of the shop" because it contains the best spices available. The spice blend is pungent, with a balance of sweet and bitter elements, as well as floral notes. It is not spicy-hot, but it may have a slight twinge of heat.

There is no single definitive recipe for ras el hanout, and each blend is considered authentic. Some versions may contain up to 30 or even 80 different spices. Here is a simple recipe that you can try at home:

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions:

• Mix all the spices in a small bowl until they are evenly blended.
• Store the spice mix in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for up to a month.

You can use ras el hanout to season couscous, rice, or other grains. It also works well as a dry rub for fish, chicken, or red meat before grilling. You can mix it with oil to create a wet rub. Additionally, it adds exotic flavour to soups and tagines, and it is delicious on roasted vegetables.

How to prepare the meat

Preparing the Meat

Tagine is a Moroccan dish named after the clay pot it is cooked in. The clay pot has a wide base and a conical lid, which helps to steam the meat and vegetables inside. The meat is usually slow-cooked, making it tender and juicy. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to prepare the meat for a tagine:

• Choose the right cut of meat: For lamb tagine, the best option is lamb shoulder, which is a tough cut of meat that becomes tender and juicy when slow-cooked. You can also use lamb shank meat or boneless lamb leg, although these may not yield the same uniform results as the lamb shoulder. For non-lamb options, beef chuck, boneless beef ribs, pork shoulder, or pork scotch fillet are good choices.
• Trim and cut the meat: Remove any excess fat and trim the meat into uniform, large cubes (around 3.5 cm or 1.5 inches). This ensures even cooking and prevents the meat from becoming too tender too quickly.
• Season the meat: Toss the lamb cubes with salt and pepper generously. This not only adds flavour but also helps to draw out moisture, resulting in a deeper flavour when the meat is browned.
• Brown the meat: Heat a large oven-proof pot or Dutch oven with a lid over high heat and add oil. Brown the lamb cubes in small batches, turning them to colour all sides. This process adds depth of flavour to the dish.
• Set the meat aside: Once the meat is browned, remove it from the pot and set it aside in a bowl. This allows you to use the same pot to cook the aromatics without washing it, thus preserving the flavours.

By following these steps, you will have perfectly prepared meat for your tagine, ready to be added back into the pot with the other ingredients for slow cooking.

How to make the sauce

The sauce is what makes a tagine so irresistible. Warm spices, natural juices from the meat and vegetables, and a lengthy reduction time come together to create a thick, richly spiced sauce with a beautiful depth of flavour. Here's how to make it:

Step 1: Prepare the Aromatics

Start by cooking the aromatics—garlic, onion, and ginger. These form the flavour base of the sauce. Cook them until soft and fragrant, being careful not to burn them.

Step 2: Add Tomato Paste and Spices

Next, add the tomato paste, cinnamon, and spices. The cinnamon can be in stick form or ground; however, using cinnamon sticks is preferable as it lends a more subtle and earthy flavour to the sauce. Cook this mixture for about 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, to cook out the raw flavour of the tomato paste and toast the spices, bringing out their flavour.

Step 3: Add the Braising Liquid

Now, it's time to add the braising liquid. For a tagine, chicken stock is typically used instead of water for a cleaner, more flavourful sauce. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Step 4: Slow Cook

Place the lid on the pot and transfer it to an oven preheated to 180°F/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Slow cook the sauce for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the meat is tender. This lengthy cooking time helps develop the rich flavours and reduces the sauce to a thick consistency.

Step 5: Add Dried Fruit (Optional)

If you're using dried fruit, such as apricots, dates, or prunes, add them to the sauce about halfway through the cooking time. This prevents them from becoming too soft.

Step 6: Finish with Lemon Zest

Once the meat is tender, gently stir in some lemon zest for a fresh, bright finish.

Step 7: Serve

Finally, serve the tagine over couscous or with crusty bread on the side. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and fresh herbs, such as coriander or cilantro, for the perfect finishing touch.

How to serve tagine

Tagine is a Moroccan dish, though it is common throughout North Africa. It is often served with flatbread, which is used for dipping and scooping up the sauce. It can also be served with couscous, either on the side or with the tagine poured on top.

In Morocco, the tagine is the central dish on the table, with small plates of salads and side dishes around it. These side dishes are often cooked and are more like a side dish than a salad, despite being referred to as such. They include:

• Tomato and cucumber dip
• Spiced olives
• Green salad with preserved lemon dressing
• Carrot salad
• Cheese briouats
• Harira soup
• Butternut squash soup
• Tomato and onion salad
• Moroccan orange and black olive salad
• Beet salad
• Charred green pepper and preserved lemon salad
• Taktouka (a traditional Moroccan mezze)

Other side dishes that work well with tagine include:

• Crust bread
• Roasted butternut squash
• Tabbouleh salad
• Roasted cauliflower
• Cucumber raita
• Pomegranate couscous
• Mint tea
• Buttered saffron rice
• Parmesan zucchini sticks
• Focaccia
• Baklava with almonds

Frequently asked questions