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Ideas for Cooking in a Moroccan Tagine

 

Many Moroccan dishes take their name from a tagine, which is the clay or ceramic vessel in which they had been traditionally cooked. Though city Moroccans could also be more inclined to make use of trendy cookware reminiscent of pressure cookers when making stews, tagines are still favored by those who admire the unique, sluggish-cooked flavor that the clayware imparts to the food. In addition, tagines stay the cookware of choice in lots of rural areas as a matter of cultural norms.

 

 

 

Earlier than a new tagine can be utilized, you have to season it so it is strengthened to withstand moderate cooking temperatures. As soon as the tagine is seasoned, it is simple to use. But there's more to know―cooking in a tagine is totally different from cooking in a traditional pot in a number of ways.

 

 

Presentation

 

The tagine doubles as each a cooking vessel and a serving dish that keeps the food warm. Dishes served in a tagine are traditionally eaten communally; diners gather across the tagine and eat by hand, utilizing items of Moroccan bread to scoop up meat, vegetables, and sauce. Because you won't be stirring in the course of the cooking, take care the way you arrange or layer ingredients for a lovely table presentation.

 

 

Cooking

 

Tagines are most frequently used on the stoveprime but can also be placed within the oven. When cooking with a tagine on the stoveprime, the usage of a reasonable diffuser between the tagine and the heat source is essential. A diffuser is a flat metal paddle that sits between the burner and the tagine and, as the name says, diffuses the heat so the ceramic doesn't crack and break.

 

 

 

The tagine should also only be used over low or medium-low heat to keep away from damaging the tagine or scorching the food; use only as a lot heat as essential to take care of a simmer. Tagines may additionally be used over small fires or in braziers over charcoal. It can be tricky to keep up an adequately low temperature. It's best to use a small quantity of charcoal or wood to establish a heat source and then periodically feed small handfuls of new fuel to keep the fire or embers burning. This way you'll keep away from too high a heat.

 

 

 

Keep away from subjecting the tagine to extreme temperature modifications, which can cause the tagine to crack. Don't, for example, add very popular liquids to a cold tagine (and vice versa), and do not set a sizzling tagine on a very cold surface. If you use a clay or ceramic tagine in an oven, place the cold tagine in a cold oven on a rack, then set the temperature to no more than 325 to 350 F.

 

 

Some recipes might call for browning the meat at the start, however this really is not essential when cooking in a tagine. You will discover that tagine recipes call for adding the vegetables and meats to the vessel at the very beginning. This is totally different from typical pot cooking, the place vegetables are added only after the meat has already turn into tender.

 

 

Liquids

 

Oil is essential to tagine cooking; do not be overly cautious in using it otherwise you'll find yourself with watery sauce or presumably scorched ingredients. In most recipes for 4 to six people, you will need between 1/4 to 1/3 cup of oil (sometimes part butter), which will combine with cooking liquids to make ample sauce for scooping up with bread. Choose olive oil for the best taste and its health benefits. Those with dietary or health concerns can simply avoid the sauce when eating.

 

 

Less water is required when cooking in a tagine because the cone-formed top condenses steam and returns it to the dish. If you've erred by adding too much water, reduce the liquids at the finish of cooking right into a thick sauce because a watery sauce isn't desirable.

 

 

It will possibly take some time to reduce a large quantity of liquid in a tagine. If the dish is in any other case completed, you can carefully pour the liquids into a small pan to reduce quickly, then return the thickened sauce back to the tagine.

 

 

Have Endurance

 

When utilizing a tagine, endurance is required; let the tagine reach a simmer slowly. Poultry takes about 2 hours to cook, while beef or lamb may take as much as four hours. Try to not interrupt the cooking by regularly lifting the lid to check on the food; that is finest left toward the top of cooking when you add ingredients or check on the level of liquids.

 

 

Cleaning

 

Hot water and baking soda (or salt) are normally ample for cleaning your tagine. If necessary, you should use a very gentle cleaning soap but rinse further well since you don't need the unglazed clay to soak up a soapy taste. Pat dry and rub the interior surfaces of the tagine with olive oil before storing it.

 

 

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