Moroccan food and cooking habits

 

Ceramic and clay vessels

 

Moroccan Traditionally cuisine

One of the reasons for its importance is its remarkable number and diversity of influences. their rule of Roman Africa. Ceramic tagines are exquisite examples of Moroccan

In Moroccan dishes, one can trace the country’s long history of colonizers and immigrants artisanship and many are show pieces as well as functional cooking vessels. who have left their mark in more than one way.

Although tagines are traditionally made of clay or ceramic, some Western cookware Firstly, the Berbers influences, still exists today in the staple dishes like tagine and companies are now making tagines from other materials. Some of these may only be couscous. The Arab invasion brought new spices, nuts and dried fruits, and the sweet intended to be used as decorative serving dishes.

and sour combinations that we see in dishes like tagine with dates and lamb. The A tangia is a large earthenware vase- shaped hollow pot with a round base, an open Moors introduced olives, olive juice and citrus while the Jewish-Moors left behind their neck and a handle on each side. (See the picture on this page.) The meat dish will be sophisticated preserving techniques that we see in the frequent use of preserved lemons, placed inside and the mouth sealed before placing the vessel between slow- glowing pickles, etc. The Ottoman Empire introduced barbeque (kebabs) to Moroccan cuisine. The coals. A tagine consist of two parts, a circular shallow dish used for both cooking French colony, although short-lived compared to reign of some of these other empires, and serving, while the top of the tagine is distinctively shaped into a rounded dome

left behind a culture of cafes, pastries, and even wine. or cone.

Over time, cooks in the kitchens of the four royal cities (Fez, Marrakesh, Meknes, and The word “tagine” also refers to the succulent dish which is slow- cooked inside the Rabat) have developed and perfected the dishes that blend each of these distinct tastes. cooking vessel. Typically, a tagine is a rich stew of meat, chicken, or fish, and most Every Moroccan dish has its place in society and varies with the market, the season, and often includes vegetables or fruit. Vegetables can also be cooked alone. the region.

 

Cooking with a tangia

 

Moroccans would take their tangia to an oven adjacent to a hamam, a Turkish bath house, where it would slow-cook in the ashes from the fire used for heating. It is also known as a bachelor’s stew, he prepares the dish, puts it in the tangia and have it cooked in the fire while he is visiting the hamam.

 

This is such an easy family dish and little or no cooking skills are required. To create this tasty dish, simply put all the ingredients into the vessel, stir until it is properly mixed, sit back, relax and wait.

 

TRADITIONAL METHOD

 Put all the ingredients and spices into the tangia, cover the opening with a circle of parchment paper that is larger than the opening. Cover the parchment paper with a layer of aluminium foil, wrapping it snugly over the mouth of the tangia by pressing it around the rim to seal. Pierce the foil in four places with a fork. Bury the pot in hot ashes from a fire, slow-cook for 5 – 6 hours till the meat is soft and tender and fall off the bone.

 

OVEN METHOD USING A TANGIA

Prepared the dish in the same way as above, place the tangia in a cold oven, turn the heat to 140˚C and leave the tangia for 5 – 6 hours. Ensure that you add additional liquid to the dish.

 

COOKING WITHOUT A TANGIA

Replace the tangia with an ovenproof dish, casserole or a clay pot and slow-cook in the oven till the meat is soft. Alternatively cook on the stovetop in a casserole or a pressure cooker to speed up the process. Why don’t you try making the dish over a fire and make it a ‘potjie’ over the fire.

 

Cooking with a tagine

 

Tagines are primarily used to slow-cook stews and vegetable dishes. The domed or cone-shaped lid of the tagine traps steam and returns the condensed liquid to the pot, therefore a minimal amount of water is needed to cook meat and vegetables to buttery-tenderness. This method of cooking is very practical in areas where water supplies are limited or where public water is not readily available. Unglazed clay tagines are preferred by some for the unique earthy nuance they impart to dishes. Tagines, glazed or unglazed come in all sizes, the smallest might hold enough food for one or two people, while the largest can hold a meal for eight people or more.

 

TRADITIONAL METHOD

The traditional method of cooking with a tagine is to place the tagine over coals. Moroccans use large bricks of charcoal specifically for their ability to stay hot for hours.

 

USING A TAGINE AT HOME Use a tagine in a slow oven or place it on a gas or electric stove top. Use the lowest heat necessary to keep the stew simmering gently. A diffuser – a circular piece of aluminum placed between the tagine and burner – is highly recommended to buffer and more evenly distribute the stove’s heat.