Book Review: 150 Best Tagine Recipes

A couple of weeks ago, we received a review copy of the book, 150 Best Tagine Recipes, by Pat Crocker. The book provides an interesting introduction to Maghreb cuisine – dishes with origins in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. Crocker provides a detailed overview of the North African flavor footprint complete with profiles of trade-route spices and other Persian flavor agents. Each profile includes the origin of the flavor agent, a description of its taste, as well as its culinary and medicinal uses. Building upon these flavor agents, Crocker also includes recipes for 21 different flavor combinations – spice combinations that serve as key building blocks for many recipes provided later in the book.

You may be wondering, what exactly is a tagine? A tagine is a special type of two-piece ceramic pot with a conical lid that has a small hole or vent at the top. It is used to cook foods at low to medium heat, creating concentrated sweet, sour, and savory flavors. The word tagine is also used to refer to any dish prepared in a tagine. We did not already own a tagine, so we used an old $50 gift card at Williams - Sonoma to purchase a medium sized tagine. The process of shopping for the right tagine was made easy by reading the chapter on “tagine know-how.” Here Crocker describes the important things to look for in a good tagine and also provides detailed comparisons of some of the more popular models on the market.


We decided to try the recipes for Baked Eggs with Mediterranean Vegetables and Roasted Red Peppers with Goat Cheese. Both of these recipes called for spice blends included in the Flavor Combinations Section of the book. These flavor combination recipes were Baharat Spice Blend and Moroccan Cinnamon Spice Blend. Some of the ingredients that we needed for the Flavor Combinations such as star anise and sumac were not available in a conventional grocery store so we found a specialty spice shop, Colonel De that had everything that we needed.

Both the Baharat Spice Blend and Moroccan Cinnamon Spice Blend required toasting of the component spices – a process that filled our kitchen with the aromatic scents of Morocco. Each spice mix has a shelf life of about 3 months so we will be able to use these spices for other recipes included in the book. After mixing together each of these Flavor Combinations, we prepared the main dishes: Roasted Red Peppers with Goat Cheese and Baked Eggs with Mediterranean Vegetables. The Baked Eggs recipe was quick and easy to prepare. It was a well balanced, healthy meal with all of the great elements of Mediterranean cooking. We also tried the Roasted Red Peppers with Goat Cheese recipe. This was our favorite although it involved a little more prep time. We had to first roast the peppers and then marinate them overnight. The end result was well worth the wait. The roasted peppers had both a sweet and sour flavor along with the rich and creamy taste of melted goat cheese. This is a great appetizer or side dish to serve with any Mediterranean dinner or get together.

Overall we really liked this book and we give it four out of five stars. It provides all of the information needed to prepare a wide range of delicious Moroccan dishes. In addition to providing insight into selecting the right tagine, 150 Best Tagine Recipes also includes recipes for the basic building blocks for North African cooking. It also features a broad collection of recipes for poultry, lamb, beef, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. Most of the recipes include interesting commentary, are easy to understand and follow, and include helpful tips that could be applied to other recipes. Anyone who is interested in learning more about North African cuisine or anyone who wants to make healthier Mediterranean dishes would love this book.

Baked Eggs with Mediterranean Vegetables Recipe

Eggs are easy to make in the tagine and are a good source of protein for vegetarian meals. This dish is colorful, fresh and very easy to make. It’s another workday lunch or quick dinner. I always use farm fresh large brown eggs in this dish.

Recommended Equipment:
Medium tagine

Ingredients:
3 tbsp avocado or olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp Baharat Spice Blend or store bought garam masala
3 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into thin strips
2 cups sliced mushrooms
20 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
5 green olives, thinly sliced
4 large eggs

Preparation:

1. In the bottom of a flameproof tagine, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and spice blend and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir in bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and olives. Cover with tagine lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Using a wooden spoon, move the vegetables around to make round pocket spaces for eggs. Crack eggs into pockets, cover with tagine lid and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until whites have turned opaque and yolks are glossy and thick.

Tips:
Serve with warmed pita triangles, bagels, or flatbread. To increase servings, use a medium to large tagine, add another tomato and pepper and a couple more eggs.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe courtesy of 150 Best Tagine Recipes by Pat Crocker

Morocco [ print this recipe ]

Roasted Red Peppers and Goat Cheese Recipe

Use this as a warm dip for raw vegetables, pita points or crackers.

Ingredients:
4 red bell peppers, halved and seeded


1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 large basil leaves, thinly sliced crosswise
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 oz creamy goat cheese, cut into 4 slices
1 tbsp Moroccan Cinnamon Spice Blend

Preparation:

1. Place bell pepper halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Broil in preheated oven on top rack directly under heat, turning pan often, for 5 to 8 minutes, until skin is evenly charred.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, basil and garlic. Set aside.
3. Remove blackened peppers from oven. Set baking sheet on a cooling rack and cover peppers with a clean towel. Let cool. Remove the charred skins from the peppers. They should slip off easily when rubbed. Slice pepper halves into 1/2 inch (1 cm) wide strips and place in bowl with oil mixture. Toss pepper slices to coat evenly. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 2 hours at room temperature or for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
4. Tip roasted peppers into the bottom of a small tagine. Heat over low heat until bubbling.
5. Place cheese slices on top of the peppers. Cover with tagine lid and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted.
   
6. Sprinkle spice blend over cheese and serve warm.

Makes 2 cups (500 mL)

Recipe courtesy of 150 Best Tagine Recipes by Pat Crocker

Morocco [ print this recipe ]

Moroccan Cinnamon Spice Blend Recipe

Very aromatic without being overpoweringly hot, this spice blend is versatile for tangine dishes that include fruit and can even be used in small amounts in sweet dishes and beverages.

Recommended Equipment:
small tagine, spice wok or cast-iron skillet
mortar and pestle or spice grinder

Ingredients:
1 piece(2 inches/5 cm) cinnamon, crushed
2 tbsp cardamom seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tspn black peppercorns
3 whole cloves
1 star anise
1/4 tspn ground nutmeg

Preparation:

1. In the bottom of a small tagine, spice wok or skillet, combine cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, cumin, peppercorns, cloves and star anise. Toast over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly colored and fragrant. Remove from direct heat just as the seeds pop; do not let the spices smoke and burn. Let cool.
2. In a mortar (using pestle) or small electric grinder, pound or grind toasted spices until coarse or finely ground. Add nutmeg to ground spices and mix well.
3. Store in an airtight (preferably dark) glass jar with lid in a cool place for up to 3 months.

Makes 1/4 cup (60 mL)

Recipe courtesy of 150 Best Tagine Recipes by Pat Crocker

Morocco [ print this recipe ]

Sauerbraten Recipe

Sauerbraten is believed to have been introduced in Germany shortly after the arrival of the Romans. The Roman practice of preserving meat in red wine was said to have inspired Germans to prepare meat this way. Today, sauerbraten has several regional variations. It used to be prepared using horse meat, however today it is usually made with beef or veal. It is usually marinaded in a vinegar base for several days creating a tender texture and rich flavor. This recipe uses a shorter marinade process combined with low heat over 7 hours using a slow cooker to produce similar results. Try this recipe with red cabbage and garlic mashed potatoes.

Recommended Equipment:
slow cooker
brining bag or large air-tight glass container

Ingredients:
2 1/2 to 3 pound rump roast
1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 cup yellow onion, sliced
2 tbsp Kosher salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 lemon
2 bay leaves
6 peppercorns
10 whole cloves
14 gingersnaps, crushed

Preparation:

1. Trim any excess fat from the roast. Cut the roast in half lengthwise. Place the pieces of roast in a brining bag or large glass container.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix together the water, vinegar, onion, salt, sugar, juice from the lemon, bay leaves, cloves, and peppercorns. Pour mixture into the container holding the roast.
3. Seal the container and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning the pieces of roast occasionally.
4. Remove the pieces of roast from the container and place them into a greased slow cooker. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the marinade over the roast in the slow cooker and discard the remaining marinade mixture.
5. Place the cover on the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 7 hours until roast is tender.
6. Remove the pieces of roast from the slow cooker and keep them warm.
7. Strain the liquid that is left in the slow cooker and return it to the slow cooker.
8. Increase the heat to high. Add the crushed gingersnaps to the slow cooker. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 12 minutes. The gravy should be smooth and thick.
9. Pour gravy over the meat and serve.

Germany [ print this recipe ]

Baharat ( بهارات ) Spice Blend Recipe

A general word for "spices," Baharat may be used to designate several spice blends.

Recommended Equipment:
small tagine, spice wok or cast-iron skillet
mortar and pestle or spice grinder

Ingredients:
2 tbsp coriander seeds
4 tspn cumin seeds
1 piece (1 inch / 2.5 cm) cinnamon, crushed
5 whole cloves
1/2 tspn cardamom seeds


2 tbsp paprika
1 tspn ground sumac, optional(see caution below)
1/2 tspn ground nutmeg



Preparation:

1. In the bottom of a small tagine, spice wok, or skillet, combine coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Toast over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly colored and fragrant. Remove from direct heat just as the seeds pop; do not let the spices smoke and burn. Let cool.
   
2. In a mortar (using pestle) or small electric grinder, pound or grind the toasted spices until coarse or finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in paprika, sumac (if using) and nutmeg.
3. Store in an airtight (preferably dark) glass jar with lid in a cool place for up to 3 months.

Makes 1/4 cup (60 mL)

Caution: Purchase sumac from specialist grocery stores selling Middle Eastern ingredients. Some members of the sumac family (found mostly in North America) have poisonous berries.

Recipe courtesy of 150 Best Tagine Recipes by Pat Crocker

Morocco [ print this recipe ]

São Paulo Style Portuguese Pizza Recipe

São Paulo is famous for its pizza and Portuguese Pizza is one of the many popular varieties served throughout Brazil's largest city. Try it with an ice-cold chopp (pilsner).

Ingredients:
Neapolitan pizza crusts
1 14oz. can tomato sauce
fresh scamorza or mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
ham, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced
black olives, sliced
oregano
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Place pizza stone in the oven.
2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Form a thin round pizza crust.
4. Top with a thin layer of tomato sauce.
5. Lightly sprinkle some shredded scamorza or mozzarella cheese onto the pizza.
6. Next, top with ham, hard boiled egg, onion, olives, oregano, and black pepper.
7. Slide the pizza into the oven on top of the pizza stone.
8. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes until pizza crust is golden brown.

Brasil [ print this recipe ]