 A vegetable tagine dish as served in a London restaurant | |
| Alternative names | Tagine |
|---|---|
| Type | Stew orcasserole |
| Region or state | Maghreb |
| Associatedcuisine | |
Atagine ortajine, alsotajin ortagin (Arabic:طاجين,romanized: ṭajīn) is aMaghrebi dish, and also theearthenware pot in which it is cooked.[1][2] It is also calledmaraq ormarqa.[3]
TheArabicطاجين (ṭajīn) is derived fromAncient Greekτάγηνον (tágēnon) 'frying-pan, saucepan'.[4][5] According to some sources, the origin of the word 'tagine' isPersian, pronounced "ته چین".[6]
In the 1990s, the late Dr.Vivien Swan identified pottery from various sites on Scotland'sAntonine Wall, built by theNumidian governor of Roman Britain,Quintus Lollius Urbicus, of a North African style, one being acasserole dish that may have been a precursor to the modern tagine.[7][8] Fragments of tagines have also been identified amongNumidian ceramics in modern-dayTunisia.[9]
According to some sources, the history of tagine dates back to the time ofHarun al-Rashid, the fifth Abbasid Caliph.[10][11][12] The concept of cooking in a tajine appears in the famousOne Thousand and One Nights, an Arabic-language story collection from the 9th century.[12]
Today, the cooking pot and its traditional broth are primarily prepared in the Middle East andNorth Africa, although both are popular in many other countries. There are different ways to prepare the tagine. In the originalqidra style,saman (clarified butter) is used to lubricate the surface and a puree of chopped onion is added for flavour and aroma. Formuqawlli-style cooking, the ingredients are placed inolive oil to enrich the flavours.
According to the historian ofJewish food Gil Marks, the unique two-piece cooking vessel made from red clay called a tagine originates from theAnti-Atlas Mountains in Morocco.[13]
Étienne Villot recounts in his bookCustoms and Institutions of the Indigenous People of Algeria (1888):
All indigenous women know how to make pottery, from humble cups to the immense kolla of theKabyle Algerians. Clay pottery is very common in Algeria. Various colors, usually red, yellow, and black, are applied to the pottery pieces shaped by the women. These colors are fixed onto the clay using a varnish composed of pine resin and a little bit of olive oil. Kabyle women have great skill in these types of work.[14]
There are many descriptions of how to prepare a tagine from Arab scholars. A famous description is the one fromibn al-Adim (1192–1262):
Boil the meat and fry with fresh coriander, onions and hot spices and a little garlic. Then pick out the fennel hearts and cut in half. Put over the meat. Put back some of the broth on it along with sheep's tail. Boil until cooked and the broth has been absorbed. Remove [from the heat].
— Ibn al-Adim,Kitab Al Wuslah il Al-Habib fi wasf al tayyibat wa Al-Tib
Tagines have been in use for an extended period, persisting to the present day. In 1859, French explorer, geographer, archaeologist, librarian, and Maghreb expertOscar Mac Carthy recounted encountering cooking tagines and pottery in the streets ofAlgeria. He described them as large hollow pots of various shapes.[15] Additionally, a Tunisian review from 1896 also references the presence of pottery and tagines in Tunisia.[16]
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The traditional taginepottery, sometimes painted orglazed, consists of two parts: a circular base unit that is flat with low sides and a large cone- or dome-shaped cover that sits on the base during cooking. The cover is designed to return allcondensation to the bottom. That process can be improved by adding cold water into the specially designed well at the top of the lid.
Tagine is traditionally cooked over hot charcoal leaving an adequate space between the coals and the tagine pot to avoid having the temperature rise too quickly. Large bricks of charcoal are used, specifically for their ability to stay hot for hours. Other methods are to use a tagine in a slow oven or on a gas or electric stove top, on the lowest heat necessary to keep the stew simmering gently. Adiffuser, a circular utensil placed between the tagine and the flame, is used to evenly distribute the stove's heat. European manufacturers have created tagines with heavycast-iron bottoms that can be heated on a cooking stove to a high temperature, which permits the browning of meat and vegetables before cooking.
Tagine cooking may be replicated by using aslow cooker or similar item, but the result will be slightly different.[citation needed] Many ceramic tagines are decorative items as well as functional cooking vessels. Some tagines, however, are intended only to be used as decorative serving dishes.
Algerian and Moroccan tagine dishes are slow-cooked stews, typically made with sliced meat, poultry or fish together with vegetables or fruit.[17][18][19] Spices, nuts, and dried fruits are also used. Common spices includeginger,cumin,turmeric,cinnamon, andsaffron.Paprika andchili are used in vegetable tagines. The sweet and sour combination is common in tagine dishes like lamb with prunes and spices. Tagines are generally served with bread. Because the domed or cone-shaped lid of the tagine pot traps steam and returns the condensed liquid to the pot, a minimal amount of water is needed to cook meats and vegetables. This method of cooking is important in areas where water supplies are limited or where public water is not yet available.[20]
What Tunisians refer to as a "tagine" is very different from other forms of the dish.[21]Tunisian tajine is more like a Frenchquiche while theLibyan is more similar to an Italianfrittata or aneggah.[citation needed] First, a simpleragout is prepared, of meat cut into very small pieces, cooked with onions and spices, such as a blend of driedrose flowerbuds and ground cinnamon known asbaharat or a robust combination of groundcoriander andcaraway seeds; this is calledtabil.[22] Then something starchy is added to thicken the juices. Common thickeners includecannellini beans,chickpeas,breadcrumbs or cubed potatoes. When the meat is tender, it is combined with the ingredients which have been chosen to be the dominant flavouring. Examples include freshparsley, driedmint,saffron,sun-dried tomatoes, cooked vegetables and stewed calves' brains. Next, the stew is enriched with cheese and eggs. Finally, this egg and stew are baked in a deep pie dish, either on the stove or in the oven until top and bottom are crisply cooked and the eggs are just set. When the tagine is ready, it is turned out onto a plate and sliced into squares, accompanied by wedges oflemon. Tunisian tagines can also be made with seafood or as a completely vegetarian dish.[citation needed]
In rural parts of Tunisia, home cooks place a shallow earthenware dish over olive-wood coals, fill it, cover it with a flat earthenware pan, and then pile hot coals on top. The resulting tajine is crusty on top and bottom, moist within and is infused with a subtle smoky fragrance.[citation needed]
Maghrebi Jews also eat and prepare tagine, owing to their historic presence in North Africa. Tagine is a very important dish inSephardi cuisine, and is commonly eaten and prepared byMoroccan Jews,Algerian Jews,Tunisian Jews,Libyan Jews,Djerban Jews, and also byFrench Jews,Jewish Americans, andIsraelis, due to the large population of Sephardim in those countries.[citation needed]
Tagine is a mainstay ofSephardic cuisine[23] commonly prepared forShabbat dinners in the Sephardi community, and served with couscous. Sephardim from different regions prepare different styles of tagine; for instance, Moroccan Jews often prepare tagine with dried fruits, while Tunisian Jews often prepare a vegetable tagine containing potatoes, carrots, and zucchini cut into large dice. Tagine is also commonly prepared forJewish holidays such asRosh Hashanah and theYom Kippurbreak-fast.[24]
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The Arabic word ṭažin is derived from the Greek teganon, meaning "frying pan".
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