Advertisement But it’s a bit of an oversimplification to call tagine “a dish,” for the term refers not only to a multitude of stews that might feature lamb, chicken or fruits and vegetables, but also to the unusual conical vessels in which they are cooked.
 |
**FOR USE WITH AP LIFESTYLES** Kefta Tagine with Lemon and Cilantro is seen in this Thursday, May 8, 2008 photo. Ground lamb combines with other traditional Moroccan staples to make Kefta Tagine with Lemon and Cilantro. It is cooked in a tagine, an earthenware cooker with a conical shaped top that keeps the moisture in during cooking. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe) |
“You don’t need a tagine to make the dishes, but without it you are losing romance, a certain color, a certain richness and intense flavor,” said Paula Wolfert, who pioneered North African cuisine in America with her 1973 cookbook, “Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco.”
When Wolfert tested the recipes in her book, she used an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven because at the time few Americans owned tagines, which originated as unglazed clay cookpots with the nomadic Berbers of North Africa.
Today, they are available in numerous styles — ceramic, stainless steel, cast iron and silicone — from upscale producers and retailers, including Williams-Sonoma, All-Clad, Le Creuset and Emile Henry.
“If you have your fancy remodeled kitchen and trophy cookware, you need your tagine,” said Kemp Minifie, executive food editor at Gourmet magazine. “And Americans love the exotic.”
Originally used on slow-burning embers around the fire, the cone-shaped top was designed to retain moisture — the steam from slowly cooking food rises to the top, then condenses and falls back into the dish.
“You use a very gentle heat working from the bottom up,” Wolfert said. “The point of a real tagine, authentic tagine, is to start low and stay low.”
For serving, Moroccan families often sit around one piping hot, communal tagine pot at the table and use fresh bread to mop up the juices and scoop up the vegetables. The meat is saved until last, when it is divided up among the family.
Tagines have been on a slow rise from obscurity in the U.S. Gourmet magazine ran its first lamb tagine recipe in 1968, though the recipes instructed readers to use a casserole dish.
Le Creuset introduced its best-selling tagine 10 years ago. But it’s during the past five years that tagines seemed to gain traction. Kitchen goods catalogs feature multiple models, and the Internet offers dozens of retail sources, including Tagines.com.
In 2005, French ceramic cookware maker Emile Henry launched the Flame Top Tagine, which unlike traditional clay tagines can go from cold to hot and withstand the high heat of a direct burner.
Demand has been high enough that this year the company introduced a new color, bringing Emile Henry’s total tagine offers to two sizes in four colors, ranging in price from $115 to $150.
Chuck Williams, founder of gourmet retailer Williams-Sonoma, says his stores periodically carried tagines, but recent interest in North African foods prompted the company to regularly offer a $150
Le Creuset tagine starting in 2005.
Tagine recipes also are becoming more common in food magazines. It’s great party food, Minifie said. “Just to think — you bring out this dramatic looking pot and you lift the lid. The aromas come out and people love it. It makes stew very elegant,” she said.
Things to consider
Ready to work tagine into your meal rotation? Here are some things to consider when buying a tagine.
Simple clay tagines are widely available online and in ethnic markets for as little as $20 to $30. However, many of these cannot tolerate high heat on the stove, which means meat cannot be browned in them. Most clay tagines also cannot go in the dishwasher. Some have decorative glazing. Be careful with these, as some glazes contain lead.
Ceramic tagines from French cookware producer Emile Henry are extremely versatile. They can tolerate high-heat cooking on the stove, in the oven and in the microwave. They also can go in the freezer and dishwasher. Expect to pay $100 or more for these tagines.
Equally versatile is the tagine from All-Clad, which combines a stainless steel (and therefore high heat safe) bottom with a glazed terra-cotta lid. This tagine also features convenient handles to make carrying it easier. The All-Clad tagine costs about $200.
Le Creuset takes a similar approach with its tagine, which combines a ceramic top with an enameled cast-iron base. These cost about $150 and have superb heat retention.
A number of companies also offer silicone tagines. These inexpensive tagines cannot go on the stove at any temperature but can be used in the oven. A better choice among silicone options is SiliconeZone’s Tagine Lid, which is a $20 silicone tagine cover that can be used with any skillet. This is a cheap way to do tagine-style cooking without the expense.
Chicken Tagine with Prunes and Tomatoes
8 bone-in chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, cut into 1/8-inch wedges
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) packed pitted prunes
2 tablespoons honey
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, 1 teaspoon salt and a generous grinding of pepper. Set aside.
In a small, dry skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they darken by a shade darker and are fragrant.
Transfer the cumin seeds to a mortar or an electric spice grinder and grind finely. Add the cumin and turmeric to the chicken and turn to coat with the spices.
Heat a high-heat tolerant tagine base over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot enough to sizzle, add the chicken, skin side down.
Use a rubber spatula to clean all the seasonings from the sides of the bowl and add it to the chicken.
Increase the heat to medium and cook the chicken for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned on the first side. Use a spatula or tongs to turn the chicken pieces.
Spread the onion wedges over the chicken and cook, occasionally stirring the onion and turning the chicken, for 10 minutes, or until the onion is wilted and golden.
Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, prunes, honey and cinnamon, breaking up the tomatoes with the side of a wooden spoon. Cover and cook on medium-low for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the chicken falls from the bone.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Uncover the tagine and use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken and prunes to a plate. Cover with foil and keep warm in the oven.
If there is excess broth, boil the liquid, uncovered, over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until reduced slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Return the chicken and prunes to the tagine.
Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. Re-cover the tagine and carry it to the table. Uncover and serve.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
(Recipe from Marie Simmons’ “Things Cooks Love,” Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2008)
Kefta Tagine with Lemon and Cilantro
For the kefta:
1 pound finely ground lamb or beef
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped or grated
Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1 teaspoon paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the tagine:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter or ghee
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, halved and smashed
1-inch chunk fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 small red chili, seeds removed, finely sliced
2 teaspoons turmeric
1-1/4 cups water
Small bunch cilantro or parsley, chopped
2 lemons
Small bunch mint leaves, chopped
To make the kefta, in a large bowl, use your hands to pound the air out of the ground lamb or beef. To do this, pick up the meat and slap it back down into the bowl several times.
Add the onion, parsley, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix together the ingredients, kneading and pounding the mixture well.
Form the mixture into walnut-sized balls and set aside.
For the tagine, in the base of a tagine or heavy-based casserole dish heat the oil and butter over medium-high. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger and chili. Saute until they begin to brown.
Add the turmeric, water and half of the cilantro. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Carefully set the kefta in the tagine then cover and continue cooking for about 15 minutes, rolling the kefta occasionally during cooking.
Juice one lemon and pour the juice over the kefta. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the remaining lemon into 6 wedges and tuck the pieces around the kefta. Cover and cook another 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with kefta with the mint and remaining cilantro.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
(Recipe adapted from Ghillie Basan’s “Flavors of Morocco,” Ryland, Peters & Small, 2008)
Spicy Carrot and Chickpea Tagine with Turmeric and Cilantro
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon honey
4 medium carrots, sliced on the diagonal
2 (14-1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Sea salt, to taste
2 tablespoons rosewater
Bunch cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges
In a tagine or heavy casserole dish, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add the turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, honey and carrots. Pour in just enough water to cover the base of the tagine.
Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes. Add the chickpeas and toss. Add water, if needed. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt, then sprinkle with rosewater and scatter the cilantro over the top. Serve with lemon wedges. Makes 4 servings.
(Recipe from Ghillie Basan’s “Tagine,” Ryland, Peters & Small, 2007)
