Tagines: recipes for electric, stove top, outdoor & garden hob.

Tagine is the Moroccan word that refers to the round vessel with a conical lid & also the food prepared in it. Traditionally used by nomads as portable ovens over charcoal braziers for making stews, usually containing meat. The tagine is used for cooking & serving. The conical lid helps preserves moisture in the food, as the steam condenses on the inside of the lid. The shape of the lid also creates a circulation motion within the dish, infusing the food with spices & flavours.The low heat produces a rich, aromatic flavour as the food slowly simmers for several hours & the resulting meat becomes meltingly tender. While the food is simmering, the cover can be lifted off without the aid of an oven glove, enabling the cook to inspect, add ingredients, vegetables, additional liquid or mix contents. CAUTION! - Steam is released when removing lid.

Most tagines involve slow simmering of less-expensive meats. The ideal cuts of lamb are the neck, shoulder or shank cooked until it is falling off the bone. Very few Moroccan tagines require initial browning; if there is to be browning it is invariably done after the lamb has been simmered & the flesh has become butter-tender & very moist. In order to accomplish this, the cooking liquid must contain some fat, which may be skimmed off later.

Carrot and chick pea tagine

1 onion, sliced

2 fat cloves garlic

1 dessertspoon cumin seeds

2 tsp rock salt

1" ginger

6 cloves

1 dessertspoon dried rose petals (optional)

200g chick peas, soaked and cooked - or use a 400g tin

4 large carrots

1 red pepper, sliced

2 satsumas, quartered

6 dates, stoned and chopped

1 dessertspoon honey

450ml stock

Black pepper

Pucketts carrot and cardamom chutney (optional)

Put the cast iron bowl over a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon oil.
Fry the onions until translucent.

Meanwhile, pound the garlic, salt, cumin and cloves to a paste.

Add to onions and stir well to distribute evenly.

Peel and finely chop the ginger and add to the bowl.

Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat.
Thickly slice the carrots.

Add chick peas, carrots, stock, rose petals, satsumas, dates, honey, chutney and black pepper. Stir well to mix.

Put the tagine lid on. Cook for 45 minutes.
Remove the satsumas before serving
Serve with roast chicken and cous cous for a sumptuous Sunday lunch - or with flatbreads and salad for a mid week meat free treat.
You can also leave it til the next day and serve at room temperature as a salad or pitta bread filling.

Once all the ingredients are added to the cast iron bowl, put the tagine lid on and carefully transfer the dish to the heater base.
Cook on LOW for 3 - 4 hours.

Lamb Meatball and Vegetable Tagine

Serves 4

For the meatballs:

500g butcher’s lean lamb mince

½ tsp dried mint (or 1 tsp fresh, chopped)

1 Tblsp breadcrumbs

¼ tsp salt; ¼ tsp pepper

Mix together and make into 8 meatballs.

Place your cast iron bowl over a medium heat, add 1 tblsp sunflower / rapeseed oil.

Fry the meatballs gently for 8-10 mins until they’re lightly browned on the outside.

Whilst they’re frying, prepare the vegetables.

Remove from the bowl and set aside while you cook the vegetables

For the vegetables:

1 Tblsp olive oil

200g sweet potato

250g carrots

350g courgette

270g potato

140g red pepper

5 cloves garlic

1Tblsp lemon juice

10g Dinebox tagine spice blend

Wash (peel where necessary) and chop the vegetables into large chunks (you can leave the garlic whole).

Pour 1 Tblsp olive oil into the cast iron bowl.

Add all the prepared vegetables, garlic and tagine spice blend.

Stir, then add the meatballs, with their juices.

Place the lid on the tagine then cook gently for about 1½ hours.

Tunisian Vegetable Stew

2 onions, sliced

4 sticks celery, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

4 potatoes, cut into chunks

2 red peppers, cut into 2.5 cm squares

1 (400g) tin chick peas

2 tins (400g) tomatoes

2 bay leaves

1tblsp harissa paste (or to taste)

100ml water

Place all the ingredients in the cast iron bowl. Stir well to mix. Cover with the tagine lid.

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours.

Serve with a yogurt and mint dressing and warm pitta bread.

This also works well s a meat dish – add 600g cubed lamb or mutton and reduce the number of potatoes to 2.

Vegetable tagine

Aromatic and exotic, without the meat.

4 tblsp oil

2 onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp thyme

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp paprika

2 sticks celery, sliced

1 green pepper, chopped

3 carrots, sliced

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

85g raisins

1 tin chickpeas

1 tin chopped tomatoes

2 potatoes, chopped

500ml stock

Place the cast iron bowl on a hob over a medium heat.

Heat the oil and sauté the onions and garlic until soft.

Add the spices, stir well and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and stir well.

Put on the tagine lid and transfer to the heater base.

Cook on the High setting for a minimum of 3 hours.

Perfect with cous cous.

Chicken tagine

3 tblsp sunflower oil

2 onions, sliced

6 chicken thighs

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tsp of paprika

1 tsp of ground cumin

1 - 2 dried chillis to taste

1 tsp of fennel seeds

1 red pepper, chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped

Grated rind of two oranges

6 figs chopped

3 carrots, sliced

20 green olives halved

Juice of two oranges

1 tblsp of tomato puree

1 dstsp honey

1 tsp of salt

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

200g grapes

Place the cast iron bowl on a hob over a medium heat. Heat the oil and sauté the onions and garlic until soft.

Add the spices, stir well and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Mix the orange juice, honey and tomato puree together and rub over the chicken pieces.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and stir well. Sit the chicken on top.

Pour over the remaining orange juice mixture.

Put on the tagine lid and transfer to the heater base.

Cook on the High setting for 4 hours.

Delicious served with flat breads and salad.

Spiced lamb tagine

4 tblsp oil

2 onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

600g lamb steak, cut into 2.5cm cubes

3 tsp cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground chilli

1 tin chickpeas

65g dates, chopped

20 green olives (approx 50g), halved

5 potatoes, chopped

1 tin tomatoes

250 ml stock

Place the cast iron bowl on a hob over a medium heat. Heat the oil and brown the lamb on all sides. Remove to a plate.

Fry the onions and garlic until soft. Stir in all remaining ingredients

Put on the tagine lid and transfer to the heater base.

Cook on the High setting for 4 hours