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Culinary Traditions and Recipes: Moroccan Tagines

Moroccan tagines are slow-cooked stews that result in tender meat accompanied by aromatic vegetables and a rich sauce. Traditionally cooked in a tagine pot, which has a knob-shaped lid for easy removal, these dishes allow the cook to inspect the main ingredients, add vegetables, or adjust the braising liquid without the need for a glove. A culinary tour in Morocco is an ideal way to learn how to make a tagine firsthand.

The tagine is a type of dish found in the North African cuisines of Morocco, named after the special pot in which it is cooked. The traditional tagine pot is made entirely of heavy clay, sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts: a flat, circular base with low sides, and a large cone- or dome-shaped lid tmhat fits inside the base during cooking. The lid is designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. Once the lid is removed, the base can be brought to the table for serving.

Most tagines require slow cooking of inexpensive cuts of meat. For example, ideal lamb cuts are the neck, shoulder, or shank, cooked until they fall off the bone. Very few Moroccan tagines require initial browning; if browning is needed, it is invariably done after the lamb has simmered and the meat has become tender and very moist. To achieve this, the cooking liquid must contain fat, which can be skimmed off later.

Moroccan tagines often combine lamb or chicken with a mix of ingredients or seasonings: olives, quinces, apples, pears, apricots, raisins, prunes, dates, nuts, with fresh or preserved lemons, with or without honey, with or without a complexity of spices. Traditional spices used to flavor tagines include ground cinnamon, saffron, ginger, turmeric, cumin, paprika, pepper, as well as the famous Ras el hanout spice blend. Famous tagine dishes include mqualli or emshmel (both are combinations of chicken, olives, and citrus, though preparation methods differ), kefta (meatballs in an egg and tomato sauce), and mrouzia (lamb, raisins, and almonds).

Other ingredients for a tagine include anything that braises well: fish, quail, pigeon, beef, root vegetables, legumes, even amber and agarwood. Modern Western recipes include roasts, ossobuco, lamb shanks, and turkey thighs. Seasonings can be traditional Moroccan spices, French, Italian, or adapted to the dish.

Morocco, perhaps under pressure to catch up with Europe, is beginning to use pressure cookers to make tagines. Recently, European manufacturers have created tagines with a thick cast-iron bottom that can be cooked on a high-heat stove. This allows for browning the meat and vegetables before cooking. While the Dutch oven and sac spell (sach) (a cast-iron pot with a tight-fitting lid) braise more efficiently in the oven, the tagine braises better on the stove.

Tagine enthusiasts who wish to stay true to the original cooking methods while saving time can still cook with pots and casseroles, but place them on the gas rather than on a low flame. No matter how you prepare the tagine, you must do it with love and care, as this will ensure a delicious result. Also, keep in mind that it is difficult to prepare tagines for large groups, as they do not hold much more than sauce. Therefore, a tagine is best prepared for your family or an intimate gathering of friends.

Tagines are a delicious meal if you enjoy exotic ingredients like lamb or chicken marinated in olive oil and garlic. (If you are vegetarian, you can request that your tagine be prepared without meat during your travels in Morocco). The meats are always first sautéed and then enhanced with combinations of marinades including saffron, cumin, crushed red pepper, fresh coriander, parsley, chickpeas, and almonds. To play with the dishes, Moroccans sometimes add prunes, ginger, or hard-boiled eggs. The standard dish will always include chicken, olives, and preserved lemons.

To succeed in making your tagine like Moroccan mothers, a few tips include using cooking butter (you can replace it with olive oil) and large quantities of chopped onions. Heat the onions until they are tender, which will give the tagine sauce a creamier taste. Adding a touch of honey is another secret.

The differences between tagines according to the regions concern mainly the spices, fats, and seasonal products used. Regardless of the origin of the ingredients, one similarity throughout Morocco is that, during preparation, the tagine is generally eaten with couscous or thick slices of freshly prepared warm bread used to scoop up the meat and vegetables.

Here are some of the most popular tagine recipes to recreate at home. For more information on Moroccan culinary traditions and recipes:

Recipe: Beef Tagine with Almonds and Prunes

Ingredients:

• 3 lb of beef
• 4 oz of butter
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 large onions
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 strip of lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1 lb of dried prunes
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground saffron
• Blanched almonds
• 3 short cinnamon sticks
• Fresh watercress or mint
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Instructions:

1. Mix the oil and ground spices in a bowl.
2. Cut the beef into cubes, finely chop the onions, and mix everything with the oil and spices. Let it rest.
3. Lightly sear the meat in butter, add the rest of the marinade and enough water to cover it.
4. Let it simmer until the meat is tender.
5. While the meat is cooking, cover the prunes with boiling water. Set aside for 20 minutes.
6. Drain the prunes and cook them in a bit of the meat liquid.
7. Add the lemon zest, cinnamon sticks, and half of the sugar.
8. Incorporate the remaining sugar into the meat.
9. Arrange the meat, prunes, and their sauce on a serving dish.
10. Quickly boil the remaining meat liquid to reduce it by half.
11. Pour the sauce over the meat and prunes.
12. Garnish with almonds sautéed in a bit of butter and watercress or mint.
13. Serve with rice or couscous.

Recipe: Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons

Ingredients:

• Rock salt
• 1 large whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 large bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of real saffron
• Pinch of fine salt
• 1/2 pound of onions, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, choppe
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/4 pound of gizzards (optional)
• 1/4 pound of chicken liver (optional)
• 1/4 cup of mixed, pitted olives
• 3 small preserved lemons

• Envoyé par Cop

  • Instructions:

  1. Rub the chicken pieces with coarse salt, then wash them in white wine vinegar and water. Let them rest for 10 minutes. Rinse, dry, and place on a clean plate.
  2. In a large bowl, mix olive oil, coriander, cinnamon, saffron, fine salt, half of the onions, garlic, cumin, ginger, paprika, and turmeric. Mix all these ingredients in the oil, crush the garlic, and add a bit of water to make a paste.
  3. Roll the chicken pieces in the marinade and let them rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
  4. For cooking, use a clay tagine (traditional Moroccan dish) or a deep, heavy-bottomed pot. Heat the dish and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the hot dish. Place the chicken and pour the excess marinade juice over it. Add the remaining onions, gizzards, chicken livers, olives, and chopped preserved lemons (without pulp).
  5. Cook on a gas or electric stove for 45 minutes.

• Enjoy your delicious and aromatic chicken tagine!