tagines are pots that can be used to cook a variety of stews and other dishes. Because of their unique features, these utensils have been used throughout the centuries in North Africa; and they are still extremely popular in the region today.
What is a tagine?
A tagine is a large but shallow ceramic or clay pot that comes with a conical lid. The shape of the lid traps moisture efficiently, so it circulates around the vessel, keeping the food succulent and retaining the flavor. The result? Delicious, slow-cooked, North African stew. Once you’ve tried cooking with a tagine, you’ll be hankering after this delicious moistness in every meal.
The vessels and the dish have been around since ancient times, but have evolved over the centuries to become what they are today. They are still commonplace in Morocco and other North African and Middle Eastern countries, with adaptations from, but still largely resembling the originals.
What do you cook in a tagine?
A tagine is both the cookware and the dish that is cooked in it. Tagine food, otherwise known as Maghrebi, is a slow-cooked stew made with meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables with spices, fruit, and nuts. A small hole at the top of the cookware’s lid periodically releases some of the steam, to make sure that the food does not get too soggy.
Tagines are normally shared dishes served with lots of flatbread; the tagine vessel will sit in the middle of the table and families or groups will gather around, using fresh bread to spoon up the ingredients. Eating in this way brings a great social element to mealtimes!
Tagine recipes are the most popular dishes made in these types of cookware, but that certainly doesn’t make this cooking device restrictive. You can use all sorts of different ingredients to make each tagine unique – just think of your ideal combination of vegetables, meat, fish, and pulses, and go from there! With so many different combinations, you could make a different one each week and not get bored.
However, tagines can also be used for other slow-cooked meals. Use this ceramic to make Shakshuka, a breakfast dish that is eaten widely across the Middle East and North Africa. It consists of eggs in a delicious tomato sauce and is mopped up with lots of bread. You could even move away from African food and use your tagine to make a delicious Indian curry or a European-style stew. The possibilities are endless!
Post time: Mar-31-2022