Tajine Spices Food

MOROCCAN LAMB TAGINE

Steps:

• Place the cayenne, black pepper, paprika, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon into a small bowl and mix to combine. Place the lamb in a large bowl and toss together with half of the spice mix. Cover and leave overnight in the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2.
• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of argan (or vegetable) oil in a large casserole dish. Add the grated onion and the remaining spice mix and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes so that the onions are soft but not coloured. Add the crushed garlic for the final 3 minutes.
• In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining oil and brown the cubes of lamb on all sides then add the browned meat to the casserole dish. De-glaze the frying pan with ¼ pint of tomato juice and add these juices to the pan.
• Add the remaining tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, apricots, dates, raisins or sultanas, flaked almonds, saffron, lamb stock and honey to the casserole dish. Bring to the boil, cover with a fitted lid, place in the oven and cook for 2-2½ hours or until the meat is meltingly tender.
• Place the lamb in a tagine or large serving dish and sprinkle over the chopped herbs. Serve.

TAJINE SPICES

Steps:

• combine well.
• store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
• enjoy!

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside. Zest the lemon. Combine 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest with 1 minced garlic clove; set aside.
• Season both sides of chicken pieces with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pan over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Brown the chicken pieces skin side down in single layer until deep golden, about 5 minutes; using tongs, flip the chicken pieces over and brown the other side, about 4 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a large plate; when cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have browned at the edges but still retain their shape, 5 to 7 minutes (add a few tablespoons of water now and then if the pan gets too dark). Add the remaining minced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spices and flour and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, honey, remaining lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the chicken (with any accumulated juices) back in, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the carrots, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender-crisp, about 10 minutes more.
• Stir in the olives, reserved lemon zest-garlic mixture, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice; taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Serve with couscous.
• Note: Don't fret too much over trimming the chicken thighs. The skin gets removed midway through the cooking process and most of the fat will cook off and get drained. I usually just take kitchen shears and quickly snip off any excess skin or fat. Cracked green olives are olives that have been 'cracked' or split open before curing, allowing the brine or marinade to penetrate. You can find them in your supermarket's olive bar, or substitute any green olive that you like.
• Make-Ahead: After you have completed the step of cooking the carrots, the dish can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. To serve, gently warm on the stove until the chicken is heated through, then proceed to the step where the olives and remaining ingredients are added.

CHICKEN TAGINE WITH PLUMS AND SPICES

Steps:

• Place a tagine (or large heavy-bottomed casserole) at least 10 inches in diameter over high heat, and add the oil.
• Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
• When the oil is hot, place the chicken pieces skin-side-down in the pot.
• When the oil starts to sizzle, reduce the heat to medium.
• Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each of the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and curry powder (if using) over the chicken.
• Cook until the chicken is golden brown, about 15 minutes (Check regularly to make sure that the chicken is not sticking to the pan).
• Spread the onion, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes on a cutting board, and season generously with the salt and pepper.
• Add them to the tagine, covering the chicken.
• Sprinkle with the remaining coriander, cumin, turmeric, and curry powder.
• Add the lemon rind and chicken stock, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
• Add the plums and cook for a further 15 minutes or until chicken is tender (It may take a little longer if you're using a tagine).
• To serve, place about 1/2 cup of couscous on each plate, top with a few pieces of chicken, and spoon some cooking liquid and vegetables over each plate.
• Garnish with almond slivers.

MOROCCAN TAGINE RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in your Moroccan tagine pot. Add diced onions to the pot and sauté for about five minutes till it turns translucent.
• Next, add grated ginger and minced garlic to the pot and sauté for another two minutes. Once the mixture starts giving aromatic flavor, add diced chicken breast and stir the mixture for about one minute to let the extra water from chicken evaporate.
• Next, it is time to add your spice mix to the pot. Sprinkle coriander, cinnamon, cumin, and turmeric powder and stir to combine. sauté the mixture until the chicken cubes are no longer pink.
• Once all the ingredients are perfectly combined into the chicken, it is time to add almonds, raisins, honey, harissa, chickpeas and 1 cup water to the pot. Stir well to combine all the ingredients. Reduce the heat and stir for a minute before covering the pot to simmer it for 10 minutes.
• When it forms a partially thick gravy or stew, it is time to add the butternut squash to the mixture. Stir the mixture properly to combine the ingredients, and return to simmer.
• Cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for another 25 minutes, or until the butternut squash turns fork-tender.
• Remove it from heat and garnish with dried apricots and slivered almonds. You can also use freshly chopped coriander leaves for garnish.
• The dish is best served with couscous. To prepare couscous, take a saucepan, add two cups of water and bring to a boil.
• Once the water is boiled, add bouillon cubes and butter and stir until the ingredients are dissolved. Make sure that the water is still boiling.
• Next, to the mixture, add the couscous and stir properly. Turn off the heat and cover the saucepan with a lid. Let it sit there for 10-15 minutes. Your couscous is ready. Fluff it with a fork and serve with your chicken tagine.

MOROCCAN TAGINE

Steps:

• To make the chermoula, whizz paste ingredients in a blender. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Tip the oil and vegetables into a heatproof casserole and cook on the hob until lightly browned, about 7 mins. You may have to do this in two batches.
• Add the chermoula paste to the casserole, along with the dried fruit. Pour in 400ml water, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 45 mins. Reduce heat to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and cook for another 45 mins. Sprinkle with the mint. Serve on its own or with couscous or crusty bread.

TAGINE SPICE MIX

Steps:

• Combine all the spices in a bowl or jar and stir to combine.
• Use immediately or store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for up to 3 months.