tagine; tajine

A tajine dish as served in Marrakesh.

A vegetable tajine dish as served in a London restaurant.

A Moroccan potter making tajines.

A tajine or tagine (Arabic: طاجين, IPA: [tˁaʒin]) is the name of a type of North African dish (Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia) as well as the special pot to cook them in. The traditional tajine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts; a base unit which is flat and circular with low sides, and a large cone or dome shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The cover is so designed to promote the return of all condensate to the bottom. With the cover removed, the base can be taken to the table for serving.

Tajine dishes are slow cooked at low temperatures, resulting in tender, falling-off-the-bone meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. The cover has a knob-like formation at its top to facilitate removing it. While simmering, the cover can be lifted off without the aid of a mitten, enabling the cook to inspect the main ingredients, add vegetables, move things around, or add additional braising liquid, if needed.

Recently, European manufacturers have created tajines with heavy cast iron bottoms that can be fired on a stovetop at high heat. This permits browning meat and vegetables before cooking. While the similar Dutch oven (a cast iron pot with a tight cover) braises most efficiently in the oven, the tajine braises best on the stovetop.

Famous tajine dishes are mqualli (chicken and citron), kefta (meatballs and tomato) and mrouzia (lamb, raisins and almonds).

Other ingredients for a tajine include any product that braises well: fish, pigeon, beef, dried fruits, olives and vegetables. Tajine dishes are traditionally flavoured with cinnamon, saffron, ginger, garlic, Ras el hanout, cumin, and peppers. Quince is frequently added to meat.

Western recipes include pot roasts, ossobuco, lamb shanks and turkey legs. Seasonings can be traditional, French, Italian or to suit the dish.

External links

• Tajine
• Lamb Tajine Recipe

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