Tagine Cooking: Spicy, Steamy, And Succulent Delights

Tagine is a North African stew named after the clay pot in which it is prepared. The word tagine refers to both the conical-shaped dish and the food cooked inside it. The dish is usually a blend of sweet and savoury flavours. The clay pot has a wide and shallow base with a conical lid that helps return condensed steam back to the food. The tagine is traditionally cooked slowly over a smouldering charcoal fire, but at home, it can be cooked in the oven or on the stovetop. Tagines are usually made with chicken or lamb, but almost any protein can be used.

Tagine cooking tips

Getting Started

Before you begin cooking, bring the tagine to room temperature. Placing a cold tagine on a hot surface can cause it to crack. 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.

Ingredients

Tagine recipes usually involve layering 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 you don't need to add too much liquid to the dish.

Spices

Fresh spices are integral to achieving an intensely flavoured sauce. Combine your spices before using them to ensure an even distribution of seasoning. Common spices used in tagines include salt, pepper, ginger, paprika, cumin, turmeric, saffron, and cayenne pepper.

Meat

Arrange the meat in the centre of the tagine, with the bone-side down to reduce the risk of scorching. You can brown the meat first in a separate skillet, although this is not necessary.

Vegetables

Vegetables are usually added at the beginning of cooking. They can be layered around the meat or arranged in a conical fashion. Try to get them to stand upright for a lovely presentation.

Liquid

The last step before placing the tagine on the stove is to add water, stock, or broth. Be careful not to add a hot liquid to a cold tagine, and vice versa, as this can cause thermal shock and crack the tagine.

Cooking

Place the tagine over low to medium-low heat and be patient as it slowly reaches a simmer. Check the liquid level after about two hours and add more water if needed.

Serving

Tagines can double as serving dishes, but be sure to allow the tagine to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving to avoid burnt fingers. Protect your table, as the base will be hot.

Tagine of lamb and merguez sausages

Tagine is a North African stew named after the clay pot in which it is prepared. The clay pot has a tight-fitting, cone-shaped lid that traps steam and allows it to drip back over the ingredients, creating a moist cooking environment. Tagines are typically flavoured with a mix of spices called ras el hanout, which often includes black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, mace, paprika and turmeric.

This famous Moroccan casserole is named after the clay dish it's cooked in and contains strong, fragrant flavours. Merguez sausages are lamb sausages native to North Africa and are often spiced with harissa.

Ingredients

For the chermoula marinade:

• 1 tbsp each ground cumin, paprika and turmeric
• 1 tsp hot chilli powder
• 2 large red onions, roughly chopped
• Thumb-sized piece ginger, roughly chopped
• 200ml/ 7fl oz olive oil
• 200ml/ 7fl oz lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
• Large handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Large handful coriander, roughly chopped
• 6 lamb shanks or a 1kg/2lb 4oz piece of lamb or mutton shoulder (if using shoulder, ask the butcher to cut it into 10cm chunks on the bone)
• 2 red onions, sliced
• 8 merguez sausages (optional)
• 2 preserved lemons, homemade or bought, pulp scooped out, rinsed and finely sliced
• 2 mint sprigs, to serve
• Harissa, to serve

Method

• Roast the spices in a dry pan for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Put the remaining marinade ingredients in a blender and process to a smooth paste, then add the roast spices and blend again.
• Place the lamb in a large bowl and pour over the marinade. Leave in the paste overnight, or for at least 2 hours to absorb all the flavours.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. In a large roasting tin, heat the oil and place over a high heat on the hob. Remove the meat from the marinade, wiping off and reserving any excess, then brown the shanks on all sides in the hot oil.
• Add the remaining marinade to the dish along with the carrots, onions and prunes, then pour in 1 litre of water. Cover the dish tightly with foil and cook in a low oven for 3½-4 hours until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone. Add the honey, lemon juice and seasoning and keep warm.
• If using, fry the sausages until cooked through, then add to the tagine.
• Serve the meat in a large bowl with the sauce spooned over, then scatter with the preserved lemons and mint, and serve the harissa on the side.

Chicken tagine with herbs and harissa olives

Ingredients:

• One 4-pound chicken, liver trimmed and chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups parsley leaves
• 1 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of saffron threads
• 1/2 preserved lemon, rind only, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup pitted green olives
• 1 tablespoon harissa paste
• Crusty bread, for serving

Method:

First, make a cup of mint tea by covering the mint with 1 cup of water and bringing it to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand for 15 minutes. Next, strain the tea into a small bowl and let it cool.

Now, in a large pot, rub the mint tea all over the chicken. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, butter, coriander, turmeric, ginger, saffron, and enough water to cover the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer gently until the chicken is tender but not falling off the bone, which should take about 45 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.

Strain the chicken cooking broth into a bowl and reserve the solids. In the pot, combine the solids with 8 cups of the broth. Add the chicken liver and the preserved lemon and bring to a boil. Cook over moderate heat until thickened to a loose, sauce-like consistency, which should take about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 425°. Rub the chicken all over with the oil. Roast for about 30 minutes, until golden and crisp. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

In a bowl, toss the olives with the harissa until evenly coated. Serve the chicken with the sauce, harissa olives, and crusty bread.

Wine Pairing:

Full-bodied Rhône whites, made from Marsanne, Roussanne, or Viognier, are superb with intensely savoury roasts.

Root vegetable and cauliflower tagine with parsley yoghurt

The ingredients required for this recipe are:

• 1 1/2 cups plain whole-milk yoghurt
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 pounds turnips, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
• 1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
• One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth
• Pinch of saffron threads
• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 cauliflower (1 pound), cut into bite-size florets
• Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup dried currants
• 1 1/2 cups pitted green olives, quartered

The first step is to whisk the yoghurt with the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Next, heat the olive oil in a large enameled cast-iron casserole or traditional clay tagine. Add the onion, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown. This should take about 8 minutes.

Then, stir in the tomato paste, cumin, coriander, crushed red pepper, caraway, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the turnips, parsnips, tomatoes and their liquid, broth, saffron, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the turnips and parsnips are beginning to soften, about 20 minutes.

After this, add the sweet potatoes, cauliflower, chickpeas, and currants. Cover partially and simmer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the olives and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the tagine to a serving bowl, garnish with parsley, and serve with the yoghurt.

Tagine with preserved lemons

Tagine is a North African dish, common in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, that is revered for its balance of sweet and savoury flavours. The word "tagine" refers to both the pot and the aromatic stew cooked inside. The dish is cooked slowly, with meat, vegetables or a combination of the two, and scented with spices.

Preserved lemons are a popular ingredient in Moroccan cooking, adding a layer of complexity to various dishes. They are made by macerating whole lemons in lemon juice and salt until they are very soft.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb chicken thighs bone-in (approx 5 or 6 thighs)
• 1 tablespoon garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons cilantro coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/4 preserved lemon skin part only (discard flesh) - approx 2 teaspoons
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron powder
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (approx half a lemon)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or water
• 1/4 cup pitted olives (can use black or green)
• 1 tablespoon cilantro coriander (and/or parsley), chopped

Method:

• Remove any excess fat and trim any loose pieces of skin from the chicken. Place the chicken in a dish or container that you will use for marinating.
• Add all of the marinade ingredients into a food processor and blend until relatively smooth. If needed, stop and scrape down the sides before blending again to make sure all of the herbs are blended.
• Spread the marinade all over the chicken on both sides, but leave the skin attached. Cover and refrigerate while the chicken marinates for at least 2 hours but overnight if possible.
• When ready to cook, warm the oil in a Dutch oven or other dish with a lid large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer (a tagine would be ideal) over a medium heat. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion then add this to the pot/dish and soften for a few minutes.
• Add the chicken on top of the onion in a single layer, skin side down initially. Once it has gently browned on the first side, turn over and cook for another couple of minutes then add the stock/water and bring to a simmer.
• Reduce the heat, cover the dish/pot and leave to simmer for approximately 45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
• In the final minutes, prepare the preserved lemon by removing the fleshy part of the lemon and cutting the skin part into thin slices. Finely chop the cilantro and/or parsley.
• Add the olives, preserved lemon and cilantro/parsley either with the chicken and cook for another minute or add over the finished dish to serve. Works well served with couscous.

Alternatively, for a fish-based tagine with preserved lemons, try the following recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds of white fish (any firm white fish will do – Bass, Halibut, etc.)
• 2 pounds of potatoes
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• Rind of 1 1/2 preserved lemons
• 1/4 cup assorted olives
• 3 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 teaspoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground paprika
• 1/3 teaspoon ground chilli pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• Flesh of 1 1/2 preserved lemons, without pits
• Tomatoes
• 1 green pepper
• Carrots
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

• Peel, seed and slice the tomatoes. Slice the green pepper into rings and remove seeds. Peel the carrots and slice into circles. Peel the potatoes and cut into thin slices.
• For the chermoula, place parsley, cilantro, garlic and the flesh of the preserved lemon in a food processor and chop finely. Place in a bowl and add spices and water.
• Place the carrots in the tagine or Dutch oven, add a little of the chermoula on top.
• Coat the fish with 1/4 of the chermoula and put on top of the carrots.
• Coat first the potatoes, then the green peppers, and lastly the tomatoes with the remaining chermoula.
• Place the potatoes on top of the fish, then tomatoes, and lastly green peppers.
• Decorate with the rind of the preserved lemon and olives. Sprinkle with olive oil.
• Place the tagine on the stovetop on low heat. Simmer for one hour until everything is cooked.

Frequently asked questions