Le Creuset Tajine: Review and Recipes

The tajine or tagine (pronounced ta-yeen) not only evokes a slow-cooking method and rich aromas, but also symbolizes a love of cooking, of enjoying food, and of sharing with friends and family recipes made with lots of love.

The how and why of the tagine

Curious kitchen utensil originating from and typical of Morocco, the tajine is designed to slow-cook all kinds of foods (from vegetables to meats, fish, or legumes), usually with a variety of spices and complex aromas. After that long cooking, you get unparalleled stews, tender and flavorful.

That one lid so eye-catching cone-shaped which is the tagine's signature feature not only gives it a fantastic and highly recognizable aesthetic (doesn't it look like a decorative piece?), but it is essential to its cooking performance: the steam produced during cooking rises upward, but it condenses when it hits the walls comparatively cooler on the stoneware lid (this is the reason for the height of the lid, to move away from the heat to stay cooler) and falls as droplets onto the ingredients, which helps to soften them and retain all the aromas and flavor. Even the toughest cuts of meat turn out meltingly tender and succulent.

In the extremely delicious traditional tagine recipes, it plays a fundamental role the seasoning that is used, these are intensely seasoned dishes: with a variety of spices and nuts and dried fruits (almonds, chestnuts, dates, etc., seeking the combination of sweet and bitter), as well as aromatic herbs, olives, all kinds of citrus, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.; the list of ingredients, depending on the recipe, is endless; the only limit is each cook's imagination. So let it soar! The blend of flavors after that slow cooking is spectacular.

Le Creuset tagine

El Le Creuset tagine, one of our many favorite products, has a plus: its enamel-coated iron base, not ceramic. Therefore, its performance is perfectly comparable to that of a cast iron casserole or casserole Le Creuset, with the caveat of the lower sides. Heat distribution is uniform and perfect.

El Le Creuset tagine it's very versatile because you get two products in one: tagine and casserole (without a lid). When you're not using it as a tagine, the cast iron base is great for many other dishes: risottos, oven roasts, stews of all kinds, etc.

Recipes for your tagine

To give you ideas and help you get the most out of the tagine, here’s a preview of the recipes included with the Le Creuset tagine. You’ll love them.

Lemon chicken Tajine

The intense lemon flavor in this recipe is achieved by using preserved or candied lemons. They are widely used in North African cuisine and are easy to make at home.

Ingredients (for 4 people):

• 4 chicken quarters
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped in thin slices
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro
• 375 ml of chicken broth
• 4 quarts of preserved lemons
• Freshly ground black pepper in salt
• Fresh cilantro for garnish

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in the base of the tagine, and gently fry the onion and garlic over low heat for 3-4 minutes without letting them brown.
2. Cut the chicken quarters into two pieces. Add them to the tagine, increase the heat slightly, and brown evenly, turning the pieces frequently.
3. Add the turmeric, coriander, and stock with some seasoning, and simmer.
4. Rinse the lemon pieces thoroughly under cold running water. Cut and discard the pulp, cut the softened peel into thin strips, and add to the chicken.
5. Cover and cook over very low heat for 2 and a half hours. Remove the lid and, if necessary, boil the liquid for a few minutes to thicken. Season to taste with chopped coriander before serving.

Moroccan lamb Tajine with dates and fennel

The combination of meat, vegetables fresh and fruits is very typical of Moroccan cuisine. The sweet flavor is balanced by the use of a large number of spices and chili pepper. This dish is phenomenal served with couscous.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bud de fennel trimmed and thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 750 g of lamb cut into large chunks
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons of ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon of chili pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 150 g pitted and chopped dates
• 500 ml of water
• Fresh coriander for garnish

Preparation:

1. Heat a tablespoon of oil in the base of the tagine, fry the onion, fennel, and garlic until they begin to brown.Transfer to a tray.
2. Add the remaining oil and fry the lamb pieces until browned all over.
3. Add all the spices and salt to the meat and stir well, continue cooking for one minute. Return the vegetables to the tagine with the dates and half of the water. Stir well.
4. Cover and simmer for 2 to 2 and a half hours, stirring occasionally. The The spices will thicken the liquid as the dish cooks, so it's necessary to check its condition afterward for 1 and a half hours and add the remaining liquid little by little.

Vegetable Tajine with harissa

This vegetable tagine can be served with couscous as a vegetarian meal or as a side for chicken or lamb. Harissa is spicy, so it should be reduced if a milder flavor is preferred.

Ingredients (for 4-6 people):

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 red onion cut into large chunks
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
• 3 chopped garlic stalks
• 2 teaspoons of harissa paste
• 2 large peeled tomatoes
• 6 small eggplants
• 125 g of okra
• 2 tablespoons of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped in salt

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil at the base of the tagine. Fry the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery until they begin to brown. Stir in the harissa paste and cook for a minute.
2. Cut the tomatoes into pieces and add to the tagine with 250 ml of water and a little salt. Cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften.
3. Trim the stems of the eggplants and cut them lengthwise into two halves. Add to the vegetables, stirring them well with the mixture. Cook for 15 more minutes, add the okra, and cook another 15–20 minutes. For serving, it should be thick. If necessary, remove the lid and cook uncovered for a few minutes to thicken. Season with chopped parsley just before serving.

Beef Tajine

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 5 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 800 g stewing beef, cut into large cubes
• 3 potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of parsley powder
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground paprika
• 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 250 ml of water

Preparation (35 minutes)

1. Heat the base of the tagine over low heat and pour in the olive oil.
2. Sauté 3 onions, halved and thinly sliced, until golden
3. Sear the meat cubes over fairly high heat until well browned.
4. Add the last onion, cut into thin slices.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Dilute the spices (paprika, paprika, saffron, etc.) in water and pour half into the tagine, reserving the rest.
7. Arrange the vegetables in a pyramid shape, cutting the potatoes into 4 to place them around the meat, which will be placed in the center.
8. Arrange the sliced carrots on top of the pyramid, then the chopped tomato.
9. Sprinkle with the remaining spices diluted in water and add the chopped garlic and parsley.
10. Cover and simmer for 1h 15, adding a little of water of time from time to time to prevent the mixture from drying out.

I hope you enjoy all these special tagine recipes, and that they inspire you! Remember that the tagine offers endless possibilities; here are a few more ideas from our own blog: lamb with pomegranate, lamb kofkas and anchovy tagine.