Tajine Le Creuset: Opinion and recipes

The tajine or tagine (pronounced tagine) not only evokes a way of cooking with slow cooking and elaborate aromas, but also symbolizes the love for cooking, for enjoying eating and sharing recipes cooked with love with friends and family.

The how and why of the tajine

A curious kitchen utensil from and typical of Morocco , the tajine was created to cook all kinds of food over low heat (from vegetables to meat, fish or legumes), usually with various spices and complex aromas. After that long cooking you get unbeatable, tender and tasty stews.

That striking cone-shaped lid that is the hallmark of the tagine not only gives it a fantastic and highly recognizable aesthetic (doesn't it look like a decorative object?), but is also essential for its cooking capacity: the steam that produced in firing rises upwards, but condenses upon hitting the comparatively cooler walls of the stoneware lid (this is the reason for the height of the lid, moving away from the fire to stay cooler) and falls in the form of a drops on the ingredients, which helps to soften them and preserve all the aromas and flavor . Even the toughest meats are sweet and succulent.

In the delicious typical recipes for tajine, the seasoning used plays a fundamental role, these are intensely seasoned dishes: with spices and a variety of nuts (almonds, chestnuts, dates, etc., seeking the combination of sweet and bitter), and also aromatic herbs, olives, citrus fruits of all kinds, dried tomatoes, etc.; the list of ingredients according to the recipe is endless, the limit is the imagination of each cook. So let her fly! The amalgamation of flavors after that slow cooking is spectacular.

Le Creuset tagine

The Le Creuset tajine , one of our many favorite products, has a plus: its vitrified iron base, not ceramic . For this reason, its features are perfectly comparable to those of an iron casserole or Le Creuset cocotte with the exception of the lower walls. The distribution of heat is homogeneous and perfect.

The Le Creuset tajine is very versatile as you have two products in one: tajine and cocotte (without lid). When you are not using it as a tajine, the cast iron base is useful for many other preparations: risottos, oven roasts, stews of all kinds, etc.

Recipes for your tajine

To give you ideas and to get the most out of the tajine, I will give you the recipes that are included with the Le Creuset tajine. you will love them

Lemon Chicken Tajine

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

Ingredients for 4 people):

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

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in the base of the tagine, fry the onion and garlic over low heat for 3-4 minutes without letting them colour.
2. Cut the chicken quarters into two pieces. Add to tagine, increase heat slightly and brown evenly, turning portions frequently
3. Add the turmeric, coriander and broth with some seasoning, and bring to a simmer.
4. Rinse the lemon wedges thoroughly in cold running water. Cut and discard the flesh, cut the softened skin 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. Garnish at will with the chopped coriander before serving.

Moroccan lamb tajine with dates and fennel

The combination of meat, vegetables fresh and fruit is very typical of Moroccan cuisine. The sweet taste is offset by the use of a large number of spices and chili peppers. This dish is great served with couscous.

Ingredients for 4 people):

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 red onion cut into thin slices
• 1 heart fennel arranged and cut into thin slices
• 2 garlic cloves cut into thin slices
• 750 g of lamb cut into large cubes
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon chili pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon 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 tajine, fry the onion, fennel and garlic until they start to brown. Transfer to a tray.
2. Add the remaining oil and fry the lamb pieces until golden brown.
3. Add all the spices and the salt to the meat and stir well, continue cooking for one minute. Return the vegetables to the tajine with the dates and half the water. Stir well.
4. Cover and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. The spices will thicken the liquid as the dish is prepared, so it is necessary to check its condition after 1 hour and a half and add the remaining liquid little by little.

Vegetable tagine with harissa

This vegetable tajiine can be served with couscous as a vegetarian meal or as a garnish 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 olive oil
• 1 red onion cut into large pieces
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 3 medium-sized carrots, cut into thin slices
• 3 garlic stalks minced
• 2 teaspoons harissa paste
• 2 large peeled tomatoes
• 6 small eggplants
• 125g okra
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley in salt

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil at the base of the tagine . Fry the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery until just beginning to brown. Stir in the harissa paste and heat for one 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 vegetables begin to soften.
3. Arrange the trunks of the aubergines and cut them lengthwise into two halves. Add to the vegetables, stirring well with the mixture. Cook for another 15 minutes, add the okra and cook for another 15-20 minutes. To serve, it should be thick. If necessary, lift the lid and cook without it for a few minutes to increase consistency. Garnish with the chopped parsley just before serving.

beef tagine

Ingredients for 4 people)

• 5 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 onions halved and cut into thin slices
• 800 g of beef for stew cut into large cubes
• 3 potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons parsley powder
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon 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 sliced ​​thinly, until golden
3. Sauté the meat cubes over a fairly high heat until they are well browned.
4. Add the last onion cut into thin slices.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Dissolve the spices (paprika, paprika , saffron, etc.) in water and pour half into the tagine, reserving the rest.
7. Arrange the vegetables in the shape of a pyramid, cutting the potatoes in 4 to arrange them around the meat, which will be placed in the center.
8. Arrange the sliced ​​carrots on top of the pyramid, and then the chopped tomato.
9. Sprinkle with the rest of the spices diluted in water and add the chopped garlic and parsley.
10. Cover and cook over low heat for 1h 15, adding a little water from time to time to prevent the preparation from drying out.

I hope you enjoy all these special tajine recipes, and that they inspire you! Remember that the tajine has many possibilities, I leave you some more ideas from our own blog: lamb with pomegranate , lamb kofkas and anchovies tajine .