Tagine!

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.I've been using my lovely tagine ever since Jack gave it to me last Christmas. We both love Moroccan food and have been talking about learning to cook it for years. For those of you unfamiliar with the term tagine, it's both a cooking pot and a traditional Moroccan meal. The cooking pot is an earthenware vessel--sometimes glazed and sometimes not--with a conical lid. In Morocco tagines are traditionally placed over a brazier containing hot coals and the food inside is braised, rather than sauted or fried. The  meal is a sort of stew--though there are hundreds of variations. The eG forums have an excellent thread describing all tihngs tagine-related and is a great place to get started.

If you don't have a tagine, don't despair. You can use a dutch oven.

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Tagine Bil Kok (Lamb and Prunes)
adapted from Kitty Morse's recipe in Cooking at the Kasbah
serves 4

2 tblsp olive oil
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 pounds legs of lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 onions
3 carrots, cut diagonally
1 cup chicken broth
8 threads saffron, toasted and crushed
15 cilantro springs, tied together
1 cup pitted prunes
2 tblsp honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp black pepper
salt to taste
1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and then into 1/2-inch pieces

Immerse the tagine bottom in water (I use the kitchen sink) for at least one hour before starting your tagine.

Place the prepped tagine on a heat diffuser over low to medium heat and braise the olive oli, turmeric, ginger, and lamb for 2 to 3 minutes. Finely dice one of the onions and add it to the meat along with the broth, saffron, cilantro and carrots. Cover and reduce heat. Cook for about an hour.

Finely slice the remaining onion. Add it, along with the prunes, honey, cinnamon and pepper. Season with salt to taste, and cook another half hour, or until the meat is tender.

Add the zucchini and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the zucchini is to your liking.

In Morocco Tagines are often served with warm bread. We like it with couscous or mixed grains.

Comments

[bint]

If you don't have a braiser, can you use a stovetop or an oven?