Tajines for all tastes
Say the word “tajine” and see color, spice, shadowed desertous hills, white flowing robes and bare feet and bright sunshine on sand. See markets and earthenware dishes and silver pots of tea with fresh mint and sugar cubes. See tiles of intricate patterns, blues and greens and in-betweens.
A tajine is not only a dish, not only a recipe; it is a way of life. A meat or vegetable or fish stew from North Africa, particularly from the Maghreb region of Morocco, the dish is composed of its star ingredient plus a selection of vegetables or fruits or even nuts, and a whole range of spices.
The dish in which a tajine (also spelled “tagine”) is cooked is a shallow earthen shape with a conical top, which condenses as ingredients are slowly cooked, often over an open flame, and keeps the ensemble moist and tender, melding the spices into the totality so that you can think of nothing else as the savory sweetness curls up into your nostrils when you walk by.
Options for the meat element are lamb, beef, pork, fish, poultry, venison. Vegetables can be potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes. Beans, pulses or nuts can augment a meat, or can substitute for meat if you are of a vegetarian persuasion. Try lentils, dried beans, almonds, chick peas. Dried fruit is often featured as well: dates, figs, apricots. And then there are the herbs and other seasonings: garlic, fresh cilantro, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, cumin, cayenne, and the ubiquitous salt and pepper.
This may seem wildly exotic, but it adapts well to our Appalachian ingredients, with a bit of imagination and sleuthing among the spices hiding in your kitchen (it’s about time you put them all to use anyway!). Use a Dutch oven, or a generous frying pan with a large lid if you don’t have a tajine recipient. Below are four recipes to get you started, or to add to your repertoire if you’re already a regular in the world of Moroccan cooking.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 onions
- 1-2 squash—crookneck, zucchini, or delicata
- 1-2 large tomatoes
- 1 bouquet fresh cilantro
- A few dozen green olives, pits in
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Seasoning:
A generous dash of any or all of the following:
- Cardamom
- Cumin
- Turmeric
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Cayenne
- Allspice
- Cayenne
- Pepper
- Salt
Preparation:
Set bottom of tajine dish on low heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Peel the onion(s), and cut into eighths, lengthwise. Toss in the dish. Cut squash into chunks or strips and stir in with the onions. When the two begin to color slightly, add the tomato(es), chopped in large chunks as well. Add a handful of cilantro leaves, the olives, the seasoning, give a good stir, and put on the lid. Turn the heat down low, to a gentle simmer, and check occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. If the dish begins to go dry, add some hot water or some broth, or even some white wine, to keep everything saucy.
Meanwhile, if you have any couscous grains in the vicinity of your pantry, heat a half cup water per person, and put in the same quantity of couscous when the water comes to a boil. Cover, off the heat, and let fluff for about 5 minutes. Add some salt and olive oil and stir with a fork.
Put a generous scoop of couscous grains in the bottom of your dish, and top with the vegetables and a spoonful of sauce. Enjoy with a glass of Moroccan mint tea (black tea and fresh mint steeped together, served up over sugar cubes), or your favorite wine.
Tajines for all tastes
Venison Tajine with a Twist
Ingredients:
- v generous quantity of fresh cubed venison (or lamb)
- 1-2 purple (or yellow) onions
- ½ red bell pepper, for flavor and color
- A handful or two of green beans (fresh or frozen)
- 1 carrot for sweetness
- ½ lemon, cut in wedges
- A few cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- A few sprigs thyme
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- Seasoning as in previous recipe
Preparation:
Heat tajine dish and slice onion as in previous recipe. Throw in the pan, followed by the venison, patted dry and seasoned with salt and pepper. Brown a bit, add the other seasonings, with the addition of garlic, thyme and bay, cover, and let simmer slowly, checking to make sure it doesn’t go dry.
Meanwhile, add slivers of lemon, carrots cut in sticks, and crushed garlic cloves. Let the ensemble simmer for at least an hour, more if using venison, until meat is tender to the fork.
Serve on bed of couscous or with a flat bread (more traditional than the couscous, which is often served with its own dish of the same name) to sop up the juices.
Sweet Potato Lentil Tajine (vegetarian-friendly)
Ingredients:
- 3-4 sweet potatoes
- 1-2 onions
- 1 cup dry (or cooked) lentils
- Bouquet of cilantro
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt, pepper, spices
Preparation:
Wash and cut sweet potatoes into half-inch rounds. Toss into heated tajine dish with a splash of olive oil and the onion sliced in eighths. Let brown a bit, then toss in the lentils, along with a cup of water, wine, or broth. Add the cilantro and other seasoning, cover, and turn the heat down to a slow simmer. Serve on a bed of couscous, with a few sprigs of fresh cilantro to top it all off.
Tajines for all tastes
Potato Lemon Caper Tajine (vegetarian-friendly)
Ingredients:
- 3-4 potatoes
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- White wine as needed
- Salt, pepper, seasoning
Preparation:
Put on bottom of tajine dish to heat, adding the tablespoon of olive oil. Cut potatoes in ¾ inch chunks, and add to pan along with peeled garlic, quartered lemon, cilantro leaves, and seasoning. Give a good stir and, before browning begins, add a good splash of white wine. Check periodically to make sure ensemble does not go dry. When potatoes are tender, add capers, let infuse a few moments longer, and serve with a dry white wine.