What is a tajine?

A  tagine is a Moroccan earthenware stew.

The dishes made with it also derive their name from it.

The tagine is especially popular in Morocco, but also in the rest of North Africa.

Nowadays, however, they are also widely available in the Netherlands and Belgium.

A tagine consists of a bowl in which the prepared dishes can be served and a relatively high cone-shaped (pointed) lid.

When cooking with the tagine, the condensation falls back into the dish.

This makes the operation of the tagine somewhat like that of a pressure cooker.

You need relatively little oil or other fats when preparing dishes in a tagine.

Most Tajines are glazed, but they can also be unglazed.

Before using a tagine for the first time, immerse the bowl in water for about 24 hours. This way you can prevent the tagine from cracking when preparing dishes.

Then dry it well and lubricate the inside of the bowl and the lid with some oil.

When operating on gas, it may be necessary to use a simmer plate.

You can also put a Tajine in the oven. Some Tajines are painted; these usually serve as decoration or to serve the dish after preparation.

Tajines are used to prepare vegetables, meat, chicken and fish dishes.

 

Aziz Ouchan

This post is also available in: Dutch