Tagines

Soutpiel Safari
John & Jenny
Thu 25 Nov 2010 09:36
We have had several delicious tagines along the roadside.  these are a traditional Moroccan dish of meat, chicken or fish with vegetables, all cooked very slowly in a traditional earthenware dish with a conical top piece.  The dish and its top are normally glazed natural brown earthenware but the more exotic presentational ones are decorated.
 
I had always thought that a tagine, by definition, had to contain fruit -prunes, apricots or raisins but it seems that these are optional.  The meat is placed in the centre and the sliced vegetable, potato, carrot, peppers, onions, aubergine, etc are piled on top of the meat radially to form a cone, under the conical top piece. Spices and copious quantities of olive oil are added and it is then cooked slowly over a charcoal brazier for 2 to 3 hours.
 
We bought a basic tagine pot along the roadside and Jenny made our first one last night.  We didn't have any charcoal so we cooked it on the gas stove, but it was very good.