How To Make A Moroccan Tajin A Delicious Way Another Best First Suria has not been published and published by a medi

• 
  

  

   Glazed Ceramic and Unglazed Clay Tagines. Photo © Christine Benlafquih

  If you own a tagine but have been too intimidated to try using it, don't feel bad. Rest assured there are many Moroccans themselves who have never cooked in them either! The photos on the following pages show step-by-step how easy it is to prepare a fabulous Moroccan stew in this traditional cookware. For general tagine cooking advice, see Tips for Using a Moroccan Tagine.

  Shown here are a ceramic tagine and an unglazed clay tagine. Both are quite common in Morocco, but I prefer the unglazed...MORE
• 02of 14

  Arrange a Layer of Onions for Your Base

  
  

  

   Arrange a Bed of Sliced Onions. Photo © Christine Benlafquih

  Once seasoned, tagines are quite easy to use. As the first step of making this Berber tagine recipe, I placed a layer of sliced onions across the base of the tagine as a bed for the remaining ingredients. The day I took these photos, I was making both a large and small tagine. Creating a bed of onions will help avoid meat from adhering to the bottom and burning. 

  Other recipes might call for chopped onions to be scattered in the tagine, or perhaps celery or carrots will be crisscrossed to make a...MORE
• 03of 14

  Add the Garlic

  
  

  

   Adding Garlic to a Tagine. Photo © Christine Benlafquih

  Next comes the garlic. Here I used a garlic press, but you could just as easily chop the garlic or, if you like, leave the cloves whole. By adding the garlic with ingredients at the bottom, I'm assured that it will fully cook and meld with the sauce. 
• 04of 14

  Add Olive Oil to the Tagine

  
  

  

   Add Olive Oil to the Tagine. Photo © Christine Benlafquih

  Ample oil is the foundation of a rich sauce in a tagine, so don't be afraid to use the full amount called for in a recipe. Most of my tagine recipes specify 1/4 to 1/3 cup oil; sometimes at home I use even a little bit more to ensure there's ample sauce for my large family to sop up with Moroccan bread. If you do reduce the oil, know that you will end up with less sauce or a watery sauce.

  Here I'm adding light olive oil to the tagine. For this particular recipe, it can be added at any...MORE
• 05of 14

  Arrange the Meat in the Center

  
  

  

   Arrange Meat in the Center of the Tagine. Photo © Christine Benlafquih

  Meat, poultry or fish is usually arranged in the center of the tagine as shown here. If you're using meat-on-the-bone, place pieces bone side down to reduce risk of scorching the meat. Here I'm using beef. I've piled it up into a mound because I'll be adding lots of vegetables around the perimeter. Sometimes you'll encounter recipes which direct you to brown the meat first. It's really not necessary. If you do decide to brown the meat, it's best done in a separate...MORE
• 06of 14

  Mix the Moroccan Spices

  
  

  

   Combine the Moroccan Spices. Photo © Christine Benlafquih

  This step is not absolutely necessary, but combining your Moroccan spices before using them does allow for more even distribution of seasoning. Here I'm mixing salt, pepper, ginger, paprika, cumin, turmeric, saffron and a little cayenne pepper in a small bowl since I'll be sprinkling the seasoning over ingredients. Sometimes I mix the spices in a large bowl and toss the veggies and meat in the spices to coat everything evenly. Sometimes I sprinkle the spices one-by-one directly into the...MORE
• 07of 14

  Season the Meat and Onions

  
  

  

   Season the Meat and Onions. Photo © Christine Benlafquih

  Distribute some of the spice mixture over the meat and onions. You can use up to two-thirds of the mixture at this step, concentrating the seasoning on the onions so the spices will meld with the oil and liquids to make a rich, flavorful sauce. The reserved spices will be used to season the vegetables.
• 08of 14

  Arrange the Vegetables and Season Them

  
  

  

   Add Veggies and Season Them. Photo © Christine Benlafquih

  When using a tagine, the vegtables are usually added at the very beginning of cooking along with the meat. Some recipes call for layering the vegetables around the meat, poultry or fish, but in a Berber style tagine they're arranged in conical fashion. If you can get them to stand even more upright than what's shown here, do so as it makes a lovely presentation. Once you've added the veggies, season them with the rest of your spice mixture.
• 09of 14

  Garnish the Tagine

  
  

  

   Garnish the Tagine. Photo © Christine Benlafquih

  Now you can dress up the tagine with color and flavor by adding strips or slices of bell pepper, preserved lemon, olives and an herb bouquet of parsley and cilantro. A jalapeno or chili pepper is optional; my family loves them.
• 10of 14

  Add Water to the Tagine

  
  

  

   Add Water to the Tagine. Photo © Christine Benlafquih

  The last step before you place the tagine on the stove is to add water (sometimes stock or broth is used instead). Pour it carefully into the tagine near the side so that you don't wash away the spices on the veggies. Be aware that you should not add a hot liquid to a cold tagine, and vice versa, as thermal shock can crack a clay or ceramic tagine.

  How much water should you add to a tagine? If a recipe doesn't specify, my general rule of thumb is to use the following:

  • 2 to 2 1/2 cups water...MORE
• 11of 14

  Cook the Tagine Over Low to Medium-Low Heat

  
  

  

   Use Low to Medium-Low Heat for Tagine Cooking. Photo © Christine Benlafquih

  Place the tagine over low to medium-low heat and be very patient while the tagine slowly reaches a simmer.

  To avoid cracking or breaking a clay or ceramic tagine, make sure it sits above the heat source and not directly on it. A diffuser will be necessary for electric and flat cook tops and is generally recommended for other heat sources as well. I didn't bother to use one on my stove shown here because the tagines did not come in contact with the low flames.

  Tagines can also be cooked...MORE

  Continue to 12 of 14 below.
• 12of 14

  Check the Level of the Liquids - When to Add More Water

  
  

  

   A Little More Water Is Needed to Finish Cooking. Photo © Christine Benlafquih

  Once a tagine reaches a simmer (it can take up to a half hour if there is a lot of liquid), it can be left relatively undisturbed to slowly stew. Reduce the heat slightly if the tagine is simmering rapidly; ideally you want a slow or medium simmer instead.

  The beef tagines I was making here would require about three hours of simmering; chicken might need only half that time while lamb can take an hour longer.

  I checked the level of the cooking liquids after about two hours. Here you can see that...MORE

  Continue to 13 of 14 below.
• 13of 14

  Checking on the Tagine - No Need to Add Water Here

  
  

  

   Plenty of Liquid for the Last Hour of Cooking. Photo © Christine Benlafquih

  The larger tagine still had ample liquid, so there was no need to add any water for the last hour of cooking. I closed the lid and left it alone. If this much liquid remained when the meat was nearly cooked, however, I might prop the lid open with a spoon to allow for quicker reduction.

  Continue to 14 of 14 below.
• 14of 14

  Serve the Tagine

  
  

  

   The Tagine Goes from Stove to Table. Photo © Christine Benlafquih

  Tagines double as serving dishes which help hold the food warm on the table. Moroccan tradition is to gather round and eat communally from the tagine, using pieces of Moroccan bread (Try this delicious Moroccan semolina bread!) to scoop and sop up sauce, veggies and meat. Be forewarned, though – it's best allow the tagine to cool for 10 or 15 minutes before digging in or there will be burnt fingers and tongues!

  Ready to try cooking different types of tagines? Here are a few recipes to get you...MORE

Follow us:

Get daily tips and expert advice to help you take your cooking skills to the next level.

Email Address

• Food
• Garden
• Crafts
• Decor
• Repair
• Pets
• Family

• About Us
• Advertise
• Terms Of Use
• Careers
• Privacy Policy
• Contact