Note: I think any of these recipes would be enhanced by either searing or smoking the meats first.
Feel free to add your recipes and pictures to this thread too.
My recent posts in the Show Us What You're Cooking thread seems to have attracted some interest so I decided to post a few of my recipes here. A Tagine is a cooking vessel consisting of a shallow base with a teepee-shaped lid on top. Food prepared in this vessel is also called a tagine and most are stews. The teepee lid lets the steam and aromatics rise, cool, and condense back into the stew. There are glazed tagines used for cooking and serving and unglazed tagines which are mostly used for cooking only. The unglazed tagines lend an earthy flavor to foods and also absorb some of the flavors of the foods which then influence subsequent cooks. Here are four of my favorite recipes (includes the two I posted on the SUWYC thread. Below are three of my tagines: On the stove are a large 14" Beldi style on the right and a smaller 11" Souss style tagine. Second picture is my Rifi style tagine.
First recipe:
Preserved Lemon Chicken Tagine
This makes a big batch. I actually divided it between the two tagines pictured above.
This tagine has a "tropical" flavor: sweet and fruity. Harissa (a type of spicy salsa from North Africa) is often added as a condiment and cuts the sweetness. You can also delete the honey if you wish.
6 skinless chicken thighs (large) or chicken breasts (chopped into large cubes)
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 large onions, roughly chopped
4 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned tomatoes
3 cups chickpeas (canned not dried)
1 inch piece fresh ginger root, minced
5 ounces dried apricots
2 tablespoons tomato puree
3 tablespoons good quality honey
1 pint boiling water*
1 chicken stock cube, Maggi*
1/4 teaspoon saffron strand, crumbled
4 teaspoons ras el hanout spice mix**
salt
1 small preserved lemon**
1 tablespoon best quality olive oil
fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh coriander, chopped to serve
* I used canned chicken stock
** Ras al Hanout and preserved lemons are essential to Moroccan cooking. I ordered them from this website, which is also where I bought my four tagines: https://www.berbertrading.com/cat-mo...and-spices.cfm
I decided to add the following ingredients to the tagine - all are used in Moroccan cooking:
1 bell pepper
olives - 3-4 oz.
dates - handful, pitted
capers - 1 oz.
Directions
1. Put the olive oil in the bottom of the tagine and gently color the onion and minced garlic.
2. In a large jug mix 1/2 pint of boiling water with 1 chicken cube and set aside. (OR, simply use chicken broth)
3. To the tagine add the ginger, ras el hanout, saffron, tomato puree and honey. Mix well.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, chick peas, stock and the apricots to the tagine and season well with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well with a wooden spoon and cover with tagine lid.
At this pint I added my extra ingredients too. Add the chicken pieces, add chicken stock if it needs more fluid, and cover with tagine lid. Remember, as the tagine heats up, the fluid level may rise, so you might want to wait until it is simmering before adding the stock.
5. Bring to a low simmer gradually (over a period of about 20 minutes). Cook on a low heat for 2 hours (low simmer). Remove the lid and add preserved lemon - rinse lemon well under cold tap. Remove and discard half of the flesh and finely slice the remaining flesh and peel. Add this to the tagine before replacing the lid and cook for a further 30 - 45 minutes or until the sauce is thick and well flavored and chicken is ready to fall apart!
6. Add a little stock or water to the sauce if it seems a little dry or too thick. Cook a little longer of not thick enough or the chicken is not at falling point.
7. Finally, serve in the tagine base dish with fresh coriander sprinkled over the top. Serve with fresh baked bread or steamed couscous.
Pic below is in the Beldi about half way through the cook.
Feel free to add your recipes and pictures to this thread too.
My recent posts in the Show Us What You're Cooking thread seems to have attracted some interest so I decided to post a few of my recipes here. A Tagine is a cooking vessel consisting of a shallow base with a teepee-shaped lid on top. Food prepared in this vessel is also called a tagine and most are stews. The teepee lid lets the steam and aromatics rise, cool, and condense back into the stew. There are glazed tagines used for cooking and serving and unglazed tagines which are mostly used for cooking only. The unglazed tagines lend an earthy flavor to foods and also absorb some of the flavors of the foods which then influence subsequent cooks. Here are four of my favorite recipes (includes the two I posted on the SUWYC thread. Below are three of my tagines: On the stove are a large 14" Beldi style on the right and a smaller 11" Souss style tagine. Second picture is my Rifi style tagine.
First recipe:
Preserved Lemon Chicken Tagine
This makes a big batch. I actually divided it between the two tagines pictured above.
This tagine has a "tropical" flavor: sweet and fruity. Harissa (a type of spicy salsa from North Africa) is often added as a condiment and cuts the sweetness. You can also delete the honey if you wish.
6 skinless chicken thighs (large) or chicken breasts (chopped into large cubes)
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 large onions, roughly chopped
4 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned tomatoes
3 cups chickpeas (canned not dried)
1 inch piece fresh ginger root, minced
5 ounces dried apricots
2 tablespoons tomato puree
3 tablespoons good quality honey
1 pint boiling water*
1 chicken stock cube, Maggi*
1/4 teaspoon saffron strand, crumbled
4 teaspoons ras el hanout spice mix**
salt
1 small preserved lemon**
1 tablespoon best quality olive oil
fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh coriander, chopped to serve
* I used canned chicken stock
** Ras al Hanout and preserved lemons are essential to Moroccan cooking. I ordered them from this website, which is also where I bought my four tagines: https://www.berbertrading.com/cat-mo...and-spices.cfm
I decided to add the following ingredients to the tagine - all are used in Moroccan cooking:
1 bell pepper
olives - 3-4 oz.
dates - handful, pitted
capers - 1 oz.
Directions
1. Put the olive oil in the bottom of the tagine and gently color the onion and minced garlic.
2. In a large jug mix 1/2 pint of boiling water with 1 chicken cube and set aside. (OR, simply use chicken broth)
3. To the tagine add the ginger, ras el hanout, saffron, tomato puree and honey. Mix well.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, chick peas, stock and the apricots to the tagine and season well with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well with a wooden spoon and cover with tagine lid.
At this pint I added my extra ingredients too. Add the chicken pieces, add chicken stock if it needs more fluid, and cover with tagine lid. Remember, as the tagine heats up, the fluid level may rise, so you might want to wait until it is simmering before adding the stock.
5. Bring to a low simmer gradually (over a period of about 20 minutes). Cook on a low heat for 2 hours (low simmer). Remove the lid and add preserved lemon - rinse lemon well under cold tap. Remove and discard half of the flesh and finely slice the remaining flesh and peel. Add this to the tagine before replacing the lid and cook for a further 30 - 45 minutes or until the sauce is thick and well flavored and chicken is ready to fall apart!
6. Add a little stock or water to the sauce if it seems a little dry or too thick. Cook a little longer of not thick enough or the chicken is not at falling point.
7. Finally, serve in the tagine base dish with fresh coriander sprinkled over the top. Serve with fresh baked bread or steamed couscous.
Pic below is in the Beldi about half way through the cook.
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