Thread: Tagine

On Mar 14, 12:47*pm, sf <s...@geemail.com> wrote:
> Just curious. *If I make one, do I need to use a Tagine pot or can I
> make it in something else? *If it turns out that I like eating/making
> tagines enough to merit spending the money on one later, I'll do it.
> In the mean time, is it an absolute necessity?
>
> --
> I love cooking with wine.
> Sometimes I even put it in the food.

You can make a tangine in any good heavy pot either on the stove or in
the oven. I don't own a tangine either and have not been able to
justify buying one yet. There is some kind of debate about whether
the traditional clay tangine is better than the enamel cast iron ones
too. I've found a good pot with a tight fitting lid works just as
well.

On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:47:09 -0700, sf <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>Just curious. If I make one, do I need to use a Tagine pot or can I
>make it in something else? If it turns out that I like eating/making
>tagines enough to merit spending the money on one later, I'll do it.
>In the mean time, is it an absolute necessity?

No, it isn't necessary. Even the Queen of tagines (Paula Wolfert)
says it isn't necessary.

Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com

On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:56:56 -0700, Christine Dabney
<[email protected]> wrote:

> No, it isn't necessary. Even the Queen of tagines (Paula Wolfert)
> says it isn't necessary.

What does she suggest as an alternative?

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:33:42 -0700, sf <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:56:56 -0700, Christine Dabney
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> No, it isn't necessary. Even the Queen of tagines (Paula Wolfert)
>> says it isn't necessary.
>
>What does she suggest as an alternative?
Any pot that you do braising in...
What do you use now for braising?

Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com

On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:55:00 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
<[email protected]> wrote:

> On Mar 14, 12:47*pm, sf <s...@geemail.com> wrote:
> > Just curious. *If I make one, do I need to use a Tagine pot or can I
> > make it in something else? *If it turns out that I like eating/making
> > tagines enough to merit spending the money on one later, I'll do it.
> > In the mean time, is it an absolute necessity?
> >
>
> You can make a tangine in any good heavy pot either on the stove or in
> the oven. I don't own a tangine either and have not been able to
> justify buying one yet. There is some kind of debate about whether
> the traditional clay tangine is better than the enamel cast iron ones
> too. I've found a good pot with a tight fitting lid works just as
> well.

Great, thanks! So, that high conical shape isn't as crucial as I
thought?

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:38:36 -0700, Christine Dabney
<[email protected]> wrote:

> On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:33:42 -0700, sf <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:56:56 -0700, Christine Dabney
> ><[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> No, it isn't necessary. Even the Queen of tagines (Paula Wolfert)
> >> says it isn't necessary.
> >
> >What does she suggest as an alternative?
> Any pot that you do braising in...
> What do you use now for braising?
>
I don't braise very much, but I have two pots I could use.


--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

sf wrote:
> Just curious. If I make one, do I need to use a Tagine pot or can I
> make it in something else? If it turns out that I like eating/making
> tagines enough to merit spending the money on one later, I'll do it.
> In the mean time, is it an absolute necessity?
>

I use a dutch oven - like Le Crueset but you can use any dutch oven.

I have a few tagines. Two are the traditional clay type one one is cast
iron/enamel. It is way easier to use a dutch oven. I think most of my
in-laws use dutch ovens these days.

Tracy

On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:58:05 -0400, Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:

> I have a few tagines. Two are the traditional clay type one one is cast
> iron/enamel. It is way easier to use a dutch oven. I think most of my
> in-laws use dutch ovens these days.

I'll do what your in-laws do in that case. Thank you and thank them.



--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

sf wrote:
> On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:58:05 -0400, Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I have a few tagines. Two are the traditional clay type one one is cast
>> iron/enamel. It is way easier to use a dutch oven. I think most of my
>> in-laws use dutch ovens these days.
>
> I'll do what your in-laws do in that case. Thank you and thank them.
>
>
>

So, what sort of tagine are you making?

On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:35:31 -0400, Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:

> sf wrote:
> > On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:58:05 -0400, Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> I have a few tagines. Two are the traditional clay type one one is cast
> >> iron/enamel. It is way easier to use a dutch oven. I think most of my
> >> in-laws use dutch ovens these days.
> >
> > I'll do what your in-laws do in that case. Thank you and thank them.
> >
> >
> >
>
> So, what sort of tagine are you making?

Heh. I haven't gotten that far. Any suggestions for a first timer?

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:53:05 -0400, Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:

> sf wrote:
> > On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:35:31 -0400, Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> sf wrote:
> >>> On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:58:05 -0400, Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> I have a few tagines. Two are the traditional clay type one one is cast
> >>>> iron/enamel. It is way easier to use a dutch oven. I think most of my
> >>>> in-laws use dutch ovens these days.
> >>> I'll do what your in-laws do in that case. Thank you and thank them.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >> So, what sort of tagine are you making?
> >
> > Heh. I haven't gotten that far. Any suggestions for a first timer?
> >
>
> Well, I like chicken with preserved lemons and olives.
>
> The Moroccan forum at about.com has very good recipes.
>
> http://moroccanfood.about.com/
>
> I like the chicken with lemon and olives or the lamb with artichokes and
> peas. Very traditional recipes. The lamb recipe uses a pressure cooker
> but you can adjust the time for a dutch oven. I like to simmer lamb low
> and slow for at least an hour and a half. Longer is better.
>
'Huh. Well, I guess I *have* made tagine before then. I've made
chicken and preserved lemon. I did not put very many olives in it
because hubby doesn't like olives, but I did put in a box of frozen
artichoke hearts and it was delicious. In fact, I plan to make it
again within the next week or so. Thanks.

Can you give me a better idea about the lamb - is it shoulder? How
does this recipe look to you?
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archive...m_of_tagi.html


--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

sf wrote:
> Just curious. If I make one, do I need to use a Tagine pot or can I
> make it in something else? If it turns out that I like eating/making
> tagines enough to merit spending the money on one later, I'll do it.
> In the mean time, is it an absolute necessity?
>


You may get a different answer, but I'd say "No."

It is basically very long, low cooking. The shape of the pot lends
itself to a lot of self-basting and the food tends to be cooked in
a stack, but you could do the same thing with any heavy-bottomed
pot like a LeCreuset or other dutch oven.

Meanwhile, look at:

http://www.tagines.com/cat_moroccan_cooking_tagine.cfm

I ordered one there recently and am quite happy with their
service. Knowing what I know now, however, I would have bought
a glazed tagine instead of an unglazed. It would have been much
easier to clean. YMMV.

gloria p

On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:07:35 -0600, "gloria.p" <[email protected]>
wrote:


>I ordered one there recently and am quite happy with their
>service. Knowing what I know now, however, I would have bought
>a glazed tagine instead of an unglazed. It would have been much
>easier to clean. YMMV.
>
>gloria p

Paula Wolfert recommends unglazed pots, I think. I packed away her
new book, Clay Pot cooking, so I can't check for sure. I think she
feels the porous quality adds something to the cooking process.

Once I can gain access to that book again, I will check.

Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com

Tracy wrote:

>
> The Moroccan forum at about.com has very good recipes.
>
> http://moroccanfood.about.com/
>
> I like the chicken with lemon and olives or the lamb with artichokes and
> peas. Very traditional recipes. The lamb recipe uses a pressure cooker
> but you can adjust the time for a dutch oven. I like to simmer lamb low
> and slow for at least an hour and a half. Longer is better.
>

Thanks for posting that, Tracy. I have made 4 or 5 recipes from that
site and all have turned out well. Someone recently gave me a Paula
Wolfort cookbook and the About.com recipes appeal to me much more.

I have made this twice and have made a few changes that make it taste
more like what we had in Morocco. Like any ethnic recipe you can vary
the proportion of ingredients.

Moroccan Spicy Eggplant (a dip or side dish)

4 small eggplants (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil (it will take more--eggplant is
like a sponge.)
-------------------------------------
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, pressed or very finely chopped (I use more)
plus a half onion, chopped finely, my own addition)
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons lemon juice (or more, the juice of a whole lemon)
1 small spoonful harissa, or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
salt

Peel the eggplants, and cut into about 1/2 inch cubes)

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium to medium high-heat, add
oil. Fry the eggplant, stirring, until golden brown. Set aside.

Remove the pan from the heat, and allow the pan to cool for a minute or
two. Add the olive oil and the garlic (and onion), and let
the garlic to soften. Don't burn it! . When the aroma of the garlic
begins to release, add the honey, lemon juice, harissa, spices
and salt to taste. Stir to blend.

Return the eggplant to the pan, and bring the sauce to a simmer over
medium heat. Cook the eggplant for about 10 minutes,
or until the eggplant is tender and the sauce is syrupy in consistency.
Add a little water if necessary, but not so much that the eggplant will
overcook to mush while the liquids reduce.

Serve at room temperature. (It's good warm, too.)

gloria p

sf wrote:
> On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:53:05 -0400, Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> sf wrote:
>>> On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:35:31 -0400, Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> sf wrote:
>>>>> On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:58:05 -0400, Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I have a few tagines. Two are the traditional clay type one one is cast
>>>>>> iron/enamel. It is way easier to use a dutch oven. I think most of my
>>>>>> in-laws use dutch ovens these days.
>>>>> I'll do what your in-laws do in that case. Thank you and thank them.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> So, what sort of tagine are you making?
>>> Heh. I haven't gotten that far. Any suggestions for a first timer?
>>>
>> Well, I like chicken with preserved lemons and olives.
>>
>> The Moroccan forum at about.com has very good recipes.
>>
>> http://moroccanfood.about.com/
>>
>> I like the chicken with lemon and olives or the lamb with artichokes and
>> peas. Very traditional recipes. The lamb recipe uses a pressure cooker
>> but you can adjust the time for a dutch oven. I like to simmer lamb low
>> and slow for at least an hour and a half. Longer is better.
>>
> 'Huh. Well, I guess I *have* made tagine before then. I've made
> chicken and preserved lemon. I did not put very many olives in it
> because hubby doesn't like olives, but I did put in a box of frozen
> artichoke hearts and it was delicious. In fact, I plan to make it
> again within the next week or so. Thanks.
>
> Can you give me a better idea about the lamb - is it shoulder? How
> does this recipe look to you?
> http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archive...m_of_tagi.html
>
>


I don't cook tagines in the oven, but that doesn't mean you can't.
Sometimes, when I make a chicken tagine I leave the chicken whole. I
cook it on the stove for about an hour then I remove the chicken from
the pot and put it in a hot oven to brown.

As for the above recipe, it looks good except for the cinnamon. I almost
never use cinnamon. Use it if you like. My husband and I both don't
really like it, except in couscous. There is a particular couscous which
is topped with caramelized onions flavored with cinnamon - and I do like
that.

We also don't serve tagines over couscous or barley. We either add
potatoes or have bread on the side. Sometimes we have both bread and
potatoes. It is Moroccan comfort food.

-Tracy

sf replied:

>> So, what sort of tagine are you making?
>
> Heh. I haven't gotten that far. Any suggestions for a first timer?

If you're okay with a sweet-and-savory combination[1], this recipe from
Hubert Keller is pretty good and pretty easy:

http://www.hubertkeller.com/recipes/207_1.html

Tagine of Chicken with Prunes, Honey & Almonds

A specialty of North African Moroccan cuisine, Tagine is both the name of
the dish and the name of the pot used for cooking the many wonderful,
stew-like dishes made in them. Tagines have a dome-like top that allows the
steam to circulate while the food is cooking. Chef Keller used a beautiful
clay tagine from Emile Henry in the filming of the show. The recipe will
also work with a 3-quart casserole pan or dutch oven.

Serves 4
1 large pinch saffron
1 3 lb. chicken, cut into pieces with skin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 wedges preserved lemon (recipe follows)
2 onions, shredded
1/4 cup canned diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons honey
10 to 15 prunes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon whole almonds, peeled
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1. In a small bowl, mix saffron threads with 2 tablespoons of water. Let
this mixture soak at room temperature until needed.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the tagine over medium heat until the oil
is very hot and almost smoking.
4. Add chicken to tagine, skin side down and let the meat sear for 4
minutes, or until golden brown. Flip the chicken with tongs, and sear on the
other side for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
5. While the chicken is cooking, slice each lemon wedge into 4 pieces.
6. Add onions to the chicken, and spread them out evenly. Top with the lemon
pieces, tomatoes, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, honey, and saffron mixture
from step one. Mix everything together until fully incorporated.
7. Cover the tagine, and let simmer for 30 minutes.
8. Add the prunes to the chicken and stir. Cover and let simmer 15
additional minutes.
9. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small sauté pan, and add
almonds. Keep the pan moving over medium low heat for 4-5 minutes, or until
the almonds take on a golden brown color.
10. When the chicken is finished, top with almonds, sesame seeds, and
cilantro.


To Make Preserved Lemons:

4 lemons, cut into 6 wedges each
10 fresh bay leaves
2 tablespoons salt
2 cups fresh lemon juice

1. In a large jar (approximately 1.5 quart), place wedges of 2 lemons, and
top with 1 tablespoon salt and 5 bay leaves, shake the jar.
2. Top with remaining lemon wedges, bay leaves, and salt. Pour lemon juice
over to fill jar, and place lid on tightly.
3. Shake the jar well. Store in a dark place for 7 days, shaking the jar
well once each day.
4. After 7 days, your lemons are ready to be used for the tagine recipe
above.

Bob
[1] Moroccans are generally okay with that combination. The most obvious --
even famous -- example is b'stilla, a pigeon pie which is liberally
sprinkled with powdered sugar.

On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:18:38 -0700, Christine Dabney
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Paula Wolfert recommends unglazed pots, I think. I packed away her
> new book, Clay Pot cooking, so I can't check for sure. I think she
> feels the porous quality adds something to the cooking process.
>
> Once I can gain access to that book again, I will check.

If she likes unglazed pots... a Romertopf should work too!

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:07:33 -0700, sf <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:18:38 -0700, Christine Dabney
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Paula Wolfert recommends unglazed pots, I think. I packed away her
>> new book, Clay Pot cooking, so I can't check for sure. I think she
>> feels the porous quality adds something to the cooking process.
>>
>> Once I can gain access to that book again, I will check.
>
>If she likes unglazed pots... a Romertopf should work too!

Yes, that is one pot she recommends for some clay pot cooking. She
also recommends sand pots, and a few others.

Christine

gloria.p wrote:
> Tracy wrote:
>
>>
>> The Moroccan forum at about.com has very good recipes.
>>
>> http://moroccanfood.about.com/
>>
>> I like the chicken with lemon and olives or the lamb with artichokes
>> and peas. Very traditional recipes. The lamb recipe uses a pressure
>> cooker but you can adjust the time for a dutch oven. I like to simmer
>> lamb low and slow for at least an hour and a half. Longer is better.
>>
>
> Thanks for posting that, Tracy. I have made 4 or 5 recipes from that
> site and all have turned out well. Someone recently gave me a Paula
> Wolfort cookbook and the About.com recipes appeal to me much more.
>
> I have made this twice and have made a few changes that make it taste
> more like what we had in Morocco. Like any ethnic recipe you can vary
> the proportion of ingredients.
>
> Moroccan Spicy Eggplant (a dip or side dish)
>
> 4 small eggplants (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
> 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil (it will take more--eggplant is
> like a sponge.)
> -------------------------------------
> 2 tablespoons olive oil
> 4 garlic cloves, pressed or very finely chopped (I use more)
> plus a half onion, chopped finely, my own addition)
> 4 tablespoons honey
> 4 tablespoons lemon juice (or more, the juice of a whole lemon)
> 1 small spoonful harissa, or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
> 1 teaspoon cumin
> 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
> salt
>
> Peel the eggplants, and cut into about 1/2 inch cubes)
>
> Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium to medium high-heat, add
> oil. Fry the eggplant, stirring, until golden brown. Set aside.
>
> Remove the pan from the heat, and allow the pan to cool for a minute or
> two. Add the olive oil and the garlic (and onion), and let
> the garlic to soften. Don't burn it! . When the aroma of the garlic
> begins to release, add the honey, lemon juice, harissa, spices
> and salt to taste. Stir to blend.
>
> Return the eggplant to the pan, and bring the sauce to a simmer over
> medium heat. Cook the eggplant for about 10 minutes,
> or until the eggplant is tender and the sauce is syrupy in consistency.
> Add a little water if necessary, but not so much that the eggplant will
> overcook to mush while the liquids reduce.
>
> Serve at room temperature. (It's good warm, too.)
>
> gloria p
>
>

Since I am relatively new to liking eggplant, I have never made this -
which I would call zalouk. I have had it prepared by my in-laws though.
I think they might add some tomato (peeled and seeded) and cilantro. It
is also mashed.

Tracy