Tagine Dream



My buddy Craig gave me one of the greatest gifts of all time, an authentic Moroccan tagine, made out of clay and everything! I was super psyched! This is one of those traditional cooking vessels that I have been drooling over for years. Basically, it’s the original slow cooker. The unique domed lid helps to circulate heat and revert the steam back to water keeping everything moist (sorry to those who hate that word, Kelly being one). What's also cool is that it can go from the stove to the table as a serving dish. Sure, I’ve got a Crock Pot, but this thing is beyond old school. Back in the day in Northern Africa, herdsmen would put a tagine on the coals to simmer all day while they were out in the desert doing whatever herdsmen do.
Ready for the unveiling!

I’ve been lusting over a tagine made by Le Creuset for a couple years, but the Moroccan one  totally fits my vibe, plus it’s not $179.99. Craig, being the ever so detail-oriented chap that he is, gave me the full lowdown on a couple different curing methods needed to make this thing functional. First it has to be soaked in water for a day, then rubbed down with a shitload of olive oil, then baked in the oven for a couple of hours at a low temp to season the clay for cooking so it won’t crack. He also gave me a diffuser to put on the eye of the stove to offset the heat when cooking, further reducing the chance of cracking.
A little soak in the tub.


Getting baked!
Once the pot was cured, I was pumped to cook something in it. I scoured the world-wide internet web thing to find a traditional recipe that sounded good and that Kelly would eat. Remember kids, the Lady Vanstory can’t eat red meat, not even lamb. I settled on a tagine (also the name of the dish) with chicken, fennel, olives, and preserved lemons. Just like a Crock Pot, you just throw everything in the pool and turn the heat to a simmer. The recipe said the whole thing should take about 2-2 ½ hours to cook. I had the heat a bit too low, so it took a little over 3 hours. Regardless of the extra time it took, I swear it was one of the best things I have EVER made. The flavors exploded! Everything was in balance, plus the clay gave the dish an earthy flavor that in no way could be replicated in a Crock Pot. I was floored!
Let's eat!

The next week I invited Craig over for dinner to show off the wonders of his gift, He bought one for himself too, but hasn’t had an opportunity to fire that bad boy up. This time I made pork shanks with tomatoes and garbanzo beans. The flavors were really amazing, however the shanks were a bit hard to eat and could have handled a couple more hours in the pot. Oh well, live and learn.

My next venture with the tagine is to make something less traditionally Moroccan. I’m thinking about trying Asian-styled ribs in it or maybe a curry. The possibilities are endless!

Ciao down,
Penn

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