Delicious Tagine Recipes: Exploring Versatile North African Cooking

Tagine is a North African dish named after the clay pot in which it is cooked and served. The pot consists of a shallow bowl and a tall, conical lid, which traps steam to intensify the flavour of the dish. Tagine is a slow-cooked meal that can be made with a variety of ingredients, including meat, fish, and vegetables. It is known for its blend of sweet and savoury flavours and is often served with couscous or rice.

Lamb tagine with dates, sweet potatoes, and prunes

A tagine is a North African cooking vessel used for slow cooking. When you see a recipe titled "tagine", it is describing the method of cooking, not the flavours and seasonings used. Tagines are usually made with chicken or lamb, but almost any protein can be used.

Ingredients:

• 4 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
• 2kg boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 5cm chunks
• 2 tsp each paprika and ground coriander
• 700g sweet potato, cut into chunks
• 100g blanched almond, toasted
• Good handful coriander, roughly chopped
• 800ml water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 and a half cups of pitted dates
• 1 tbsp honey
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a large, deep pan. Add the onions, then gently fry until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the ginger, add the meat in batches, then fry on all sides until lightly coloured.
• Return all the meat to the pan, stir in the spices and cinnamon stick, then cook for 1 minute.
• Add the water, then bring to the boil, stirring. Season well, then cover and simmer for 1 and a half hours, until the lamb is tender.
• Add the sweet potatoes, stir well, cover again, then cook for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender.
• Stir in the dates and honey, and heat through for 5 minutes.
• Taste and add more seasoning if necessary.
• To serve, spoon the tagine into a serving dish and scatter with the almonds and coriander.

This dish can be cooked in a traditional clay tagine, a pressure cooker, a conventional pot, or a deep frying pan with a lid or a flameproof casserole dish. If using a tagine, remember to bring it to room temperature before cooking.

Chicken tagine with herbs, artichoke hearts, and olives

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• Onion
• Garlic
• Coriander seed (ground)
• Cayenne pepper (ground)
• Chicken thighs (skinless and boneless)
• Low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable broth
• Tomatoes (fresh or puree)
• Carrots
• Potato
• Peas (fresh or frozen)
• Artichoke hearts (canned)
• Green olives
• Cilantro
• Lemon juice
• Salt and pepper (optional)

Method:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot or tagine over medium heat.
• Add onion and cook until slightly soft, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in garlic, coriander, and cayenne, and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
• Add chicken and cook until slightly golden, around 5 minutes.
• Pour in the stock or broth, tomato puree or fresh tomatoes, carrots, potato, and salt. Bring this mixture to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
• Gently mix in peas, artichoke hearts, olives, and half the cilantro. Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
• Place the tagine on a serving plate and garnish with the remaining cilantro.
• Squeeze lemon juice over the dish and serve.

This dish is best served with couscous or brown rice, and it can also be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken. Enjoy the fragrant and flavourful tastes of Morocco with this easy-to-make chicken tagine!

Vegetable tagine with apricots and chickpeas

Tagines are slow-cooked, aromatic stews of North African origin. They are traditionally cooked and served in distinctive clay pots, often with lamb, and usually served with couscous. However, tagines can be cooked in a deep frying pan with a lid or a flameproof casserole dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100g soft apricots, chopped
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp five spice
• 1 400g tin of chickpeas, drained
• 1 400g tin of tomatoes
• 50g ground almonds
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 1 courgette, sliced (optional)
• 1 pepper, sliced (optional)

Method:

Section 1:

Firstly, prepare your onion, garlic, and any veg you are using. Heat a large pot with oil, then add the chopped red onion, crushed garlic cloves, fennel seeds, ground coriander, and five spice. Fry this mixture for a couple of minutes.

Section 2:

Next, chop the apricots into quarters and add them to the pot along with any veg you are using (courgette and pepper are good options). Fry this mixture for a few more minutes.

Section 3:

Now, add your drained chickpeas, tinned tomatoes, vegetable stock, and ground almonds. Stir everything together.

Section 4:

Finally, cook the mixture on a medium/high heat for about 10 minutes, or until it thickens. Serve with rice or quinoa.

Seafood tagine with cod and olives

Seafood tagine is a great way to enjoy the flavours of Morocco, and it's a dish that's easy to make and requires very little work—the tagine pot does it all!

Ingredients for Seafood Tagine with Cod and Olives:

• Cod fillets
• Olive oil
• Onion
• Garlic
• Spices (cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, black pepper, Ras el hanout)
• Green olives
• Fresh cilantro/coriander
• Brown rice
• Optional: ginger, carrot, chilli, saffron, tomatoes, lemon, prawns

Method:

Firstly, heat some olive oil in your tagine or a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic and cook until the onion is translucent. Next, add the cod fillets and sprinkle with your chosen spices. Cook for around 5 minutes on each side, or until the fish flakes easily.

Add the olives and stir to combine with the fish. Cover the tagine and simmer for around 10 minutes, allowing the flavours to meld. Finally, serve the cod and olive tagine over cooked brown rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Tips:

Remember to bring your tagine to room temperature before cooking, to avoid cracking. You can also make this dish in a deep frying pan with a lid or a flameproof casserole dish if you don't have a tagine.

This is a great, healthy dish, low in fat and calories, and cod is a useful source of iodine. It's also quick to prepare, taking just 30 minutes to cook, unlike meat-based tagines.

Meatball tagine with lemon and olives

Ingredients

• Zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon, quartered
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• Pinch of saffron strands
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 100g pitted black kalamata olives
• Small bunch of coriander, chopped
• Couscous or fresh crusty bread, to serve
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 500g lamb mince
• Salt and pepper, to season
• Oil, for frying

Method

• Put the onions in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped. Put the lamb, lemon zest, spices, parsley and half the onions in a large bowl, and season. Using your hands, mix until well combined, then shape into walnut-sized balls.
• Heat the oil in a large flameproof dish, or tagine with a lid. Add the remaining onions, ginger, chilli and saffron. Cook for 5 minutes until the onion is softened and starting to colour.
• Add the lemon juice, stock, tomato puree and olives, then bring to the boil.
• Add the meatballs, one at a time, then reduce the heat, cover with the lid and cook for 20 minutes, turning the meatballs a couple of times.
• Remove the lid, then add the coriander and lemon wedges, tucking them in between the meatballs. Cook, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced and thickened slightly.
• Serve hot with couscous or fresh crusty bread.

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