Cooking with a Tagine?

Am somewhat new to Moroccan cooking and am wondering if anyone can make recommendations of cooking with a tagine?Cooking with a Tagine?
I am a former chef and own 3, all glazed ones, there are some unglazed and you need to soak them for 30 minutes in cold to lukewarm water before putting them in the oven.



Some you can start the mix on the stove, but a slow heated oven is the best, say 300 and then up to 325 d F when it gets hot, I brown my meats and cut the veg in resaonably good size chunks so they cook wel and don't fall a part. For meat one 1 1/2 hour for chicken 2 for lamb and 1 hour for veg based ones.



I like to do alot of veg based ones, with olives and I make my own pickled lemons, I got some Ras-al Hanout in Toronto and it is a good seasoning for may tagines as the base flavour.



With mine being glazed, I can put them on a bamboo trivet and serve them at the table
CHICKEN TAGINE WITH OLIVES AND LEMONS



1.Assorted chicken pieces (2 lbs.), remove skin

Onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. pepper

1-2 lemons, wedged

1 jar green olives (as many as desired)



Place all in large stewing pot and cook slowly until chicken is done. Serve with French bread.Cooking with a Tagine?
There are several tagine recipes:



1/4 c olive oil

2 3 lb chickens -- each cut in 6 pieces

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 sm onions -- finely chopped

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 3" stick cinnamon

1/4 tsp saffron threads -- crumbled

2 med tomatoes, peeled -- seeded and chopped

6 cloves garlic -- finely chopped

1 c fresh flat-leaf parsley -- finely chopped

1 c fresh cilantro -- finely chopped

3 preserved lemons

1/2 lb mediterranean brine-cured olives -- calamata/picholine



Heat the oil in a large enameled cast-iron casserole. Season the chicken

pieces with the salt and pepper and add them to the casserole along with the

onion, ginger, cinnamon, and saffron. Cook over high heat, turning the

chicken occasionally, until browned all over, about 10 min. Add the tomatoes,

garlic, parsley, cilantro and 2 c. of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the

heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is

tender, about 1 hour. (The recipe can be prepared up to this point up to 2

days ahead; cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before continuing.)



Meanwhile, rinse the preserved lemons under running water; pat dry. Separate

the lemons into quarters. Discard the pulp from one of the lemons and finely

chop the peel. Reserve the quarters for garnish.



Transfer the chicken to a large plate. Strain the cooking liquid and return

it to the casserole. Boil over high heat until slightly thickened, about 10

min. Add the chopped preserved lemon and the olives and simmer over moderate

heat for 2 min. Add the chicken pieces and simmer until heated through.



Arrange the chicken pieces in a serving dish. Pour the sauce on top and

garnish with the lemon quarters



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2 lg Onions, peeled %26amp; sliced

1 ts Cumin

1 kg Lean lamb, leg or shoulder

1 ts Ground coriander

-cut into 4cm cubes.

1 ts Ground ginger

4 Pears, peeled cored %26amp; cut

1 ts Cinnamon

-into 4cm chunks

1 ts Black pepper

1/2 c Sultanas

Water, to cover the meat

1/2 c Silvered almonds

Salt, to tast

1 tb Olive oil



Tagines are Moroccan slow-cooked meat, fruit %26amp; vegetable dishes which are

almost invariably made with mutton. Using lamb cuts down the cooking

time, but if you can find good hogget (older than lamb, younger than

mutton, commonly labelled "baking legs" and sold cheaply) that will do

very well.



1. In a large saucepan gently fry the onion in the olive oil until

soft, add the meat to the pan and cook until it changes color,

then add the spices. Add water to just cover the meat and salt to

taste.

Cover and simmer gently until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 - 2

hours. (Displace the lid a little after an hour if there appears

to be too much liquid.)



2. Add the pears to the meat together with the sultanas %26amp; almonds.

Cook for a further 5 minutes or until the pears are soft.

Serve with rice.







http://www.tagines.com/

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