Common doubts when buying a tagine

There are several customers who have asked us about the tajines. They are very attractive, aren't they? But people doubt how to use them, what they are really for and, very importantly, is the investment made amortized? And just this week we were discussing it with a client, and so many things came out that are worth sharing that here I am, writing about a topic that I think may interest you.

First of all I am going to change a thought that many of you have: The "chimney" that makes the tajine does not have a hole! The truth is that I'm laughing writing this, because until I had the first one in front of me (a long time ago!), due to its design, I was convinced that the steam was escaping from there. And not! In fact, if the tajine had it, it would no longer cook or stew as it does.

And good? How does the tagine work? Well, in fact, it is very simple but very intelligent: the steam that is generated, like all hot air, rises upwards. As he climbs, he meets the colder walls of what I incorrectly call a "chimney" (since it has no hole, I should say it is a pointed hat-shaped lid) , so the steam cools and falls on the food in the form of drops of water, cooking or braising food. It does so with its own juice, with a steam flavored with the ingredients that you have included in the preparation, and for this reason the result is spectacular: the food is very juicy after the long cooking time with very little water.

I imagine that with this explanation the reason for the shape of the lid is also understood: that design, that chimney that draws the lid, is like this so that the upper part does not get hot, and the steam generated to bathe the food cools down. .

We now know how to stew the tajine and why that cover is like that. Now comes the next question... And what else is the tajine good for? Am I going to amortize the investment? To solve this question, I am going to separate the two types of tajines that we have in the store.

We have the Emile Henry tagine , which is made of non-porous, glazed ceramic, which retains heat for a long time to keep food warm. Ceramic is an excellent heat diffuser, so you get smooth and progressive cooking -what we expect from tajine cooking, which allows all the properties of the food to be preserved. It is a very nice tajine for ceramic hobs (or gas cookers), which gives you an excellent presentation at the table. But also, you can use the base to cook any other dish without the lid (such as a ceramic casserole). You must think that you can cook in it what you want as long as it is in an oven, gas or vitro since it does not work in induction. It is a very nice and versatile utensil.

On the other hand is the tajine from Le Creuset . It maintains the ceramic lid but its base is made of vitrified cast iron. I mean, it's like a cocotte! The investment is higher, without a doubt, but apart from that good presentation on the table you can use the base to cook anything that you would cook in a cocotte; it can go in the oven, vitro, gas and induction; It doesn't scratch, you cook on a noble material (super healthy and super good results!) and you have a utensil for life, robust and shock resistant: It's iron!

My conclusion with all this? Both tagines are very pretty, they allow you to present them with and without a very elegant lid, and they are a very versatile tool. Now, Emile Henry's is ceramic and, apart from using it as a tajine, it will allow you to cook any recipe without a lid as if it were a ceramic casserole. And, on the other hand, the one from Le Creuset is a higher investment, but it is made of cast iron, which allows you to use it as a cocotte, it also works as a tajine for induction, and you will not fear blows since you will have the base for a lifetime .

I would like to end this post with a small anecdote that our friend Stéphane always tells when we talk about cooking with tajine. He always explains that the tagine, like the cocotte, is a slow cooker. When we let the meat cook inside for hours over a low heat, we get that flavored and tender meat that is so appreciated. In fact, traditionally the tagine was buried in the desert in the morning. Thus during the day the food was cooked while the family went about their chores. In the evening they would return to their camp and have a delicious tajine ready for dinner.