Has anyone cooked with an authentic tagine??

i got a tagine from morocco, is there anything i have to do to it before i start cooking in it? or is there any special things i need to do (as seasoning a cast iron skillet)...thanks for any help....Has anyone cooked with an authentic tagine??
You definitely need to season it.

I wish I'd had the brains to ask this question before I leapt enthusiastically (and expensively lol) into using mine for the first time. I ended up buying a new one.



Here's the best advice I found for preparing your tagine for use

http://www.maroque.co.uk/tagine.asp



PS - take careful note of the types of tagine - if yours is not a cooking tagine, you cannot use it with heat - only for serving already cooked dishes.
Unless you have an actual tagine, the best dish would be a pyrex cassarole, ingredients spices like cumin, coriander,fennel, red pepper ( there is a paste called Harisa, sold in Middle Eastern Stores), a good supply of vegetables ( zucchini, eggplant, carrots, peppers, potatos, tomatos) dried fruits ( apricot, prunes, raisins)



As far as your meat which is optional a nice veggy tagine is nice, lamb and chicken are the most used, turkey thighs are nice to, something that is long cooking and has lots of flavour,



And of course, there the Cous-Cous, that is your choice, quick or the steaming variety, Moroccan or Israeli, find the one you like, and have fun, everytime you make it, it will be a new taste experience.Has anyone cooked with an authentic tagine??
First you need to determine if it is a cooking tagine or one that is for serving fooods only (decorative ones are usually made with fancy glazes on the outside).



If it is for cooking, then soak it in water for a few hours, then rub the inside completely with olive oil. Then put it in a cold oven and set the oven to 350F and let sit for a few hours. Then when it cools, wipe it and wash it in mild soapy water but do not let it soak in the dishwater.
I bought mine at Williams Sonoma, it is made by All Clad. I made lamb stew. I was good but tasted the same as I make in my dutch oven, just a bit drier. The potatoes fared best. But the lamb is less moist than in the deeper pot. Bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, parsnips, turnips, potatoes, carrots, onions, dried apricots, lamb chunks, wine, and stock.