anchovies tajine

Carmen, author of Yerbabuena en la Cocina , takes us today to 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 tagine. I am convinced that the ease and flavor of this recipe will captivate you!

A few years ago I was lucky enough to travel to Marrakech. I still remember the intense colours, the smell of spices and the feeling of life in that city.
The whole of Marrakech revolves around the Yamaa el Fna square. During the day it is filled with all kinds of people, from snake charmers and monkey trainers to dentists, storytellers, sellers of the sweetest fruit juices and the most delicious nuts, etc. At night the square is transformed, suddenly filled with colour with thousands of little lights and hundreds of food stalls flood Yamaa el Fna, filling every corner with a multitude of smells. It really is quite a spectacle!

The tagine is a traditional dish from North African cuisine, especially from Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. It is prepared in a shallow, glazed clay container with a conical lid that retains heat and steam during and after cooking. When the steam condenses on the top of the lid, it falls back onto the food in the form of water, thus preventing it from drying out and providing all its flavour when cooked in its own juices.

There are a wide variety of tagines , both for meats such as lamb, chicken, beef, and fish, the most common being sardine or anchovy tagines, or vegetable tagines. Depending on the type of tagine, different ingredients are used, both sweet and savoury, honey, nuts and spices.

Fish tagines are usually seasoned with a marinade called Chermoula, which consists of coriander, parsley, garlic, black pepper, cumin, paprika, lemon juice and olive oil. As you can imagine, a whole sensation of flavours in one bite.

And if, like me, you decide on this Emile Henry tagine , you will not only be opting for the best and tastiest cooking, but you will also be doing it in the healthiest and most elegant way possible thanks to the design, colour and enamelling. A treat within everyone's reach!

Let's go for the recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 Kg. Anchovies cleaned and the central spine removed
• 4 grated tomatoes
• ½ Red pepper
• 4 cloves of crushed garlic
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• The juice of half a lemon, another way to decorate
• Fresh cilantro
• Parsley
• A splash of virgin olive oil
• Salt

Elaboration

• We clean and remove the spines from the anchovies so that they remain open and dry them.
• Prepare the marinade or chermoula by mixing in a bowl the crushed garlic cloves, the paprika (you can use a little bit of spice if you like), the black pepper, the cumin, the finely chopped coriander and parsley, the juice of half a lemon, the salt and a dash of olive oil. Stir well.
• We place an open, boneless anchovy in the palm of our hand with the skin side down and the side with the spine facing up. We soak the spine side up with a little of the previous mixture. We cover it with another anchovy like a book, so that the skin side of the anchovies is on the outside and the spine side is on the inside.
• Since they are in contact and have a very strong flavour, we only add the marinade to one of the two anchovies. We transfer them to a plate and set aside. Continue until all the anchovies are finished.
• We grate the tomatoes and place them in the tagine , add the remaining chermoula and stir to integrate well.
• Carefully place 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 decorate around the fish.
• Place the lid on the tagine and place it on the heat, first at medium heat and then at higher heat. Let the fish cook for 15 minutes. Serve it in the same tagine .