Tunisian Tagine Food

TAJIN SIBNEKH (TUNISIAN CHICKEN AND EGGS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the potatoes in the hot oil until golden brown and tender, about 7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Stir the chicken into the remaining oil, and cook until white on the outside, but still pink on the inside, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, and continue cooking until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the harissa, ras el hanout, water, tomato sauce, and butter. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the spinach until wilted. Remove from the heat, and set aside.
• Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Stir in the peas, Parmesan cheese, and fried potatoes. Stir in the chicken mixture a spoonful at a time, season to taste with salt and pepper, then pour into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven until the mixture is firm and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then cut into 12 squares, and serve warm.

TUNISIAN FISH TAGINE

Steps:

• Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes over low heat. Grind to a powder in a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder and set aside.
• Seed the chilies and cut into julienne strips.
• Place half of the olive oil in one large frypan and half in a nonstick pan with a lid. Put the potato into the nonstick pan. Add the tumeric and fry, tossing and turning the potatoes.
• At the same time in the other pan, fry the onion and celery, stirring occasionally. When the onion begins to soften, add the garlic, lime leaves, chiles, cumin, paprika and saffron. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes, then season lightly with salt and pepper and turn off the heat. Leave in the pan while the potatoes finish cooking.
• As soon as the potatoes are cooked, season the fish steaks with salt and pepper and put them on top of the potatoes. Spoon the onion mixture over and around the steaks and pour over the tomatoes. Bring to boil over a medium-high heat, immediately lower it and cover. Cook gently for 7-10 minutes or until the fish is just cooked. Taste and season.
• Serve in large warmed bowl, sprinkled with cilantro.

TUNISIAN TAGINE

Steps:

• Boil 2 eggs for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Peel and chop potatoes. Fry in olive oil with salt, turmeric and cumin.
• Fry onions lightly, then add ground meat , if you are using it, and some salt. Let fry for a few minutes, then add harissa to taste and some water. Let simmer until most of the liquid is gone. Add some of the parsley and let cool.
• Prepare the rest of the vegetables.
• Peel and chop the boiled eggs.
• Mix vegetables, meat, potatoes, boiled eggs and about 4 ounces of the cheese in a bowl. Add the six raw eggs, salt, turmeric, cumin and crushed coriander seeds (and more harissa if you wish).
• Pour vegetable oil in an oven proof dish and pour mixture into it. Place remaining cheese on top.
• Bake in 350 F oven (medium heat) for 20-30 minutes.
• Cut into pieces and serve.

TUNISIAN TAGINE

Steps:

• In some oil fry the small diced potato until lightly golden and cooked through. Alternatively you can boil the potatoes if you prefer to keep it healthy
• Dice the chicken breast and add to a frying pan with a little oil and the spices and garlic until the chicken is covered with the spices and cooked through. This will only take a few minutes.
• Once the potato and chicken is cooked. Set aside. Taking a medium to large baking dish, grease the sides with some of the oil and add the potato, chicken and parsely and mix well together in the dish, spreading the mixture evenly along the bottom. Check the seasoning and adjust if neccessary.
• In a seperate bowl beat the 8 egss together and pour over the ingrediants in the dish and bake in a preheated oven at 200c for 30 minutes.
• Check after 20 mins to see if the tagine has set all the way through and is a firm texture. Remove from the oven whilst hot and cut into squares leaving in the dish until slightly cooled and then serve with a green salad for lunch or on its own as a starter or with crusty bread and Tunisian Grilled Salad. Yummy!