Enjoy a Sweet and Savory Moroccan Tagine With Chicken and Apricot (2024)

FAQs

What does tagine mean in Morocco? ›

tagine, North African cooking vessel consisting of a flat rimmed dish and a tall conical lid. The term tagine also refers to the slow-simmered stews cooked in this vessel.

Tagine is frequently served over couscous. Plain couscous is fine though it's really nice with a little sprinkle of dried fruit and/or nuts littered throughout, or a spritz of fresh lemon. You'll find various flavouring options in the couscous recipe.

Chicken tagine is a traditional Moroccan dish of chicken pieces braised with spices, garlic, onion, olives, and preserved lemons. It's company-worthy yet easy to throw together.

A tagine is very similar to an Indian curry, except ras el hanout takes a slightly different approach then garam masala. Tagines balance sweet and spicy, often incorporating raisins, apricots, currants, dates, honey, and cinnamon.

Tagine is also seasoned with many healthy spices including garlic, saffron, coriander, and ginger – all of which have their own unique health benefits. Overall, lamb tagine is a great meal not only for fitness reasons, but also in general since its ingredients contain cancer-fighting and immune boosting compounds.

Tenderising and concentrating flavours

Traditionally, the tagine was made popular due to its ability to tenderise and cook lower-quality or tougher meats, which, while being cheaper or more abundant, are also the most flavoursome cuts if given adequate time to simmer.

I often serve this Moroccan chicken tagine with plain couscous (super easy to make following the package instructions). You can try your favorite grain or Lebanese rice instead, if you like. And to start the meal, simply serve a fresh Mediterranean salad.

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.

Meals are customarily eaten while sitting on the floor. Food is taken from a common dish using only the right hand, and leftover juices are soaked up with bread. The logical exception to this rule is soups, which are eaten with spoons. Moroccans usually eat at home.

This is a simplified version of a traditional Moroccan tagine. Tastes great with either beef or lamb.

Does a tagine go in the oven? ›

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 is fine as it will improve the tagine's resistance to temperature changes.

The tagine should also only be used over low or medium-low heat to avoid damaging the tagine or scorching the food; use only as much heat as necessary to maintain a simmer. Tagines may also be used over small fires or in braziers over charcoal. It can be tricky to maintain an adequately low temperature.

The tagine, pronounced “tuh-jeen,” is both a dish and the unique earthenware pot in which it is cooked. This culinary masterpiece derives its name from the conical lid of the cooking vessel, which is an essential element in creating its distinct flavors.

The bottom of the tagine is used to maintain the heat and the pointed shape of the lid has been designed to allow cooking without water, thus retaining all the flavors of the food.

The word "tagine" refers to both a North African cooking pot with a conical lid, and the aromatic stew traditionally cooked inside. Tagine, the stew, classically incorporates savory and sweet ingredients to make a complex dish with a richly spiced sauce.

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.

Tagine or Tajine means "low clay pot" in Arabic and is the name of a traditional North African dish, which exists in as many versions as we have versions of smørrebrød in Denmark, if not more. The same name is also used for the actual dish in which the dish is prepared.