Anchovy Tajine

Carmen, author of Yerbabuena en la Cocina, takes us today into the world of spices and slow cooking. She does so with her memories and with the recipe she presents to us today, prepared in a tajine. I'm convinced the ease and flavor of this recipe will captivate you!

A few years ago I was lucky enough to travel to Marrakech; I still retain in my memory the very intense colors, the smell of spices, and the sense of life in that city.
All of Marrakech revolves around the Yamaa el Fna square; during the day it fills with a very diverse crowd, from snake charmers or monkey trainers, to dentists, storytellers, vendors of the sweetest fruit juices and the richest dried fruits, etc. At night the square transforms; suddenly it fills with color with thousands of little lights and hundreds of food stalls flood Yamaa el Fna, filling every corner with a multitude of smells. Truly quite a spectacle!

The tajine is a traditional dish of North African cuisine, especially Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. It is prepared in a shallow fired-clay glazed vessel whose conical lid retains heat and steam during and after cooking; as the steam condenses on the upper part of the lid it falls back as water onto the food, preventing it from drying out and adding all its flavor as it cooks in its own juices.

There is a wide variety of tajines, both meat ones like lamb, chicken, beef, and fish ones — the most common being sardine or anchovy tajines — as well as vegetable tajines. Depending on each one, different ingredients are seasoned, both sweet and savory, such as honey, dried fruits and spices.

Fish tajines are usually seasoned with a marinade called Chermoula whose ingredients are cilantro, parsley, garlic, black pepper, cumin, paprika, lemon juice and olive oil. As you can imagine, a whole sensation of flavors in one bite.

Also, if like me you opt for this Emile Henry tajine, you will be choosing not only the best and most flavorful cooking method, but also the healthiest and most elegant way possible thanks to the design, color and glazing. A real indulgence within everyone's reach!

Let's get to the recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 Kg. cleaned anchovies with the central bone removed
• 4 Grated tomatoes
• ½ Red bell pepper
• 4 Garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ Teaspoon paprika
• ½ Teaspoon black pepper
• ½ Teaspoon ground cumin
• Juice of half a lemon, another half for garnish
• Fresh cilantro
• Parsley
• A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Preparation

• We clean, remove the bone from the anchovies so they remain open, and dry them.
• We prepare the marinade or chermoula by mixing in a bowl the crushed garlic cloves, the paprika (if you like you can use a bit of hot paprika), the black pepper, the cumin, the cilantro and parsley finely chopped, the juice of half a lemon, the salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir well.
• Place an opened, boneless anchovy in the palm of your hand with the skin side down and the side where the bone was facing up; coat the latter with a little of the mixture, cover with another anchovy like a sandwich, so that the skin sides of the anchovies are outside and the bone sides face inward.
• Since they are in contact and the flavor is very strong, we only add the marinade to one of the two anchovies. Move to a plate and set aside. Repeat until all the anchovies are done.
• Grate the tomatoes and place them in the tajine, add the remaining chermoula and stir to incorporate well.
• Carefully arrange the anchovies on top of the tomato in the most aesthetic way possible. Cut the pepper into strips and the lemon into half slices and garnish around the fish.
• Place the lid on the tajine and bring to the heat, first over medium heat and then higher. Let the fish cook for 15 minutes. Serve presented in the same tajine.