What Are Tagines and How Do You Use Them? (2024)

FAQs

What Are Tagines and How Do You Use Them? ›

The word tagine refers to both the conical-shaped dish and the food that's cooked inside it, which is usually a blend of delicious sweet and savoury flavours. Traditionally the ingredients were packed into the pot, the lid was popped on tight, then it was cooked slowly over a smouldering charcoal fire.

Tagines are ideal for cooking lamb on the bone, beef shank, bone-in short ribs and oxtail, with the clay pot “coddling” the meat to bring out the natural flavours.

The versatile tagine pot can be used both on top of the stove or put in the oven. Dishes that are cooked in the pot can be taken straight to the table and served from there.

With a conical lid that helps trap steam and returns condensed liquids into the pot, a tagine significantly reduces the amount of water necessary to prepare meals, resulting in richer flavours, tender meats and perfectly cooked vegetables.

Equipment You'll Need

But you don't need a tagine to make this recipe. Use a Dutch oven or another lidded pot instead, as long as the lid fits tightly. If it doesn't, cover the pot with foil before placing the lid on top. Tongs A tagine, like most braises, starts with the browning of the meat.

However, before you can start using your tagine to cook your favorite recipes, you need to cure it properly. Curing your tagine involves soaking the base and lid in water for 24 hours, patting them dry, brushing the surfaces with olive oil, and then heating them in the oven.

When you cook in a Tagine you get the unique earthy flavor you can't get when you cook in a regular pot or pan. You can put a modern twist on any traditional dish or experiment with your own blend of ingredients.

Traditionally, tagines would be cooked over coals or open flame, but you can use them over gas flames, electric elements or even in the oven. When heated, the ceramic expands slightly, sometimes creating small, thin cracks in the glaze.

This recipe is for a traditional meat tagine, which requires marinating the meat in a variety of spices overnight. If you don't own a tagine, substitute the widest, shallowest Dutch oven or heavy skillet you have (something good for low, slow cooking).

The best side dishes to serve with tagine are couscous, flatbreads, roasted vegetables, rice pilaf, chickpea salad, grilled halloumi, butternut squash, yellow rice, fattoush, lemon and herb quinoa, tzatziki, and harissa.

Can you overcook a tagine? ›

I often begin a tagine in a pot on the stovetop and finish it in the oven. One secret to a stellar tagine is cooking the meat to just the right stage, almost falling off the bone, but not quite. Remember that even a stew can become overcooked and stringy, so pull the meat as soon as it is ready.

Less water is required when cooking in a tagine because the cone-shaped top condenses steam and returns it to the dish. If you've erred by adding too much water, reduce the liquids at the end of cooking into a thick sauce because a watery sauce is not desirable.

With meat more succulent than its rival and with a greater depth of flavour, the tagine walked straight into our hearts and stomachs, along with awesome flat breads and a tomato and avo salad. Trust us, it was tasty. Keen to make it? Give this Moroccan lamb tagine recipe a try and let us know how you get on.

While stews are definitely the most popular and well-known dish to make in a tagine, it can be used for much more. Rice, couscous, and beans all do fabulously. With the lid off, a tagine could be used as a roasting dish and then be carried straight to the table.

This recipe is for a traditional meat tagine, which requires marinating the meat in a variety of spices overnight. If you don't own a tagine, substitute the widest, shallowest Dutch oven or heavy skillet you have (something good for low, slow cooking).

The conical lid allows steam to circulate during cooking, which then creates condensation that drips back onto the meat, fish or vegies, keeping food moist.

Some tagines have a small hole at the top of the lid that releases steam, meaning the sauce reduces as the steam escapes. But if your tagine doesn't have a hole, reduce the sauce by removing the lid in the last 15-30 minutes of cooking.