Tagine

Tagine

The Moroccan Cookbook

Lamb kofta with pistachio and red onion This lamb starter is a North African dish, enjoyed all over the continent all year round. The lamb can be substituted by turkey or chicken mince if preferred.

Fresh flat-bread is the only partner to this dish!

Serves 4 200g lamb mince 1/2 cup fresh coriander 1 tbs ras-el-hanout paste 1 small egg tahini paste salt & pepper bamboo sticks (soaked in water overnight) Add the mince, egg and ras-el-hanout to a bowl and kneed with the hands until well combined. Mix in a pinch of salt, the pepper and the fresh coriander and combine with the meat mixture. Thread the mixture onto the sticks, moulding into rounded shapes so as to allow for even cooking. Grill until brown and cooked through. Serve the kofta with a fresh salad sprinkled with crushed pistachio, finely sliced red onion and tahini paste.

Flat-bread with olive pomade and coriander pesto This bread is a staple, and no Moroccan meal is without it. Homemade, warm and delicious, it can be made ahead but is best made on the day so that it is still steaming from the griddle. The coriander pesto makes a refreshing change from the usual basil variety, and it can be jarred and kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Olive pomade is the sediment from the first cold press of the olives for their oil and it can be found in many good supermarkets, but good quality cold-pressed olive oil can be used if preferred.

Serves 4 For the bread 500g strong white bread flour 100ml olive pomade/olive oil 2tsp sea salt 1tbs finely chopped coriander

For the coriander pesto 1tbs pine nuts 1 large bunch fresh coriander plus stalks 1 clove garlic Olive oil

Sift the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Slowly drizzle in the pomade or oil, mixing gently with your fingers as you go to ensure an even mix. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Add the chopped coriander and the salt. Immediately role out on a floured surface into four equal rounds and griddle each one until golden brown and fluffy.

For the pesto, place all the ingredients except the oil into a processor and whiz until very fine and crumbly. Place into a jar and add enough oil to loosen up the mixture.

Hummus The classic North African dip eaten far and wide, this is so much better when made from scratch and can be frozen in small containers and quickly defrosted when guests make an impromptu visit.

Serves 8 1kg drained tinned chickpeas 1 bulb garlic, peeled 1 tbs rock salt 1 regular jar tahini paste 500ml olive oil You really do need a food processor for this. Place the salt and garlic into the processor and blend on high speed until the garlic and salt make a paste. Add the chickpeas, tahini and half of the olive oil and blend again until all of the ingredients are well combined.

Remove the dip from the blender and if needed stir in more of the olive oil to achieve the right consistency, soft-dropping is usually the preferred thickness here.

Couscous Royale Couscous Royale is served at weddings and big events and every household has their own method for creating their own.

Serves 4 500g cooked couscous 1 tin chickpeas 4 merguez sausages 1 fillet neck of lamb 4 chicken thighs 100ml olive oil 1ltr chicken stock

1 bunch fresh coriander 1tbs ras-el-hanout paste 1 courgette 2 carrots 1 parsnip 1 onion, chopped fresh lemon for dressing

Brown the onion, lamb and chicken in the olive oil till golden and then add the chicken stock. Let bubble gently for about half an hour. Once the stock has reduced and become thicker add the chickpeas, the rest of the vegetables and the ras-el-hanout paste. Let simmer for further 15 minutes.

Whilst the vegetables are cooking start browning the merguez sausages in some of the olive oil.

Pile some of the fluffy couscous into the middle of a large flat platter and spoon the meats and vegetables on-top. Add the browned sausages and sprinkle with the coriander and a squeeze of lemon.

Lemon & chicken tagine

Tagine is a fantastic meal for a family gathering as it encourages everyone to sit together and serve themselves, but it’s also great the next day when the flavours have developed even more.

Serves 4 1 tin chickpeas 3 whole lemons, sliced 1 kg chicken breast pieces 3 large potatoes, cut into large cubes 1 onion, diced 1 bunch fresh coriander, roughly torn 20ml olive oil 2tbs ras-el-hanout paste Brown the meat in the tagine or a large heavy-based saucepan using the olice oil.

Add the diced onion to the meat and cook until translucent and then combine the ras-el-hanout paste with the mixture.

Pour in the stock and add the potatoes and chickpeas before covering the pan and leaving to cook for an hour and 20 minutes on a low simmer. The funnel allows steam to cook the food but also escape, so leave a small gap in the panlid if a tagine dish is not being used. Just before the time is complete, dot the chicken with the lemon pieces and steam for 5 minutes to soften.

White fish stew with coriander and garlic This rich and delicious stew is perfect for autumn meals, sitting out absorbing the last of the sunshine. Serve with crusty bread and lots of coriander.

Serves 4 500g cod or any soft fleshed white fish, de-boned 100g green olives, pitted 100g onions, chopped 150g fresh tomatoes, chopped 200ml fish stock 2tsp ground cumin 2tsp ground coriander seeds 1sm bunch fresh coriander, chopped 1 lemon, juiced Brown the onion till translucent and add the cumin and coriander seeds to release the fragrant oils. Then add the olives and tomatoes. Cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes have reduced by half. Gently add the fish and stir gently once before adding the stock. Let the fish cook very slowly, bubbling away until the mixture has reached a thick, stew-like consistency.

Serve in bowls with chopped coriander and a sprinkle of lemon juice.

Sticky date cakes with edible pansies No North African meal would be complete without a sticky, syrupy pudding to drink with tea. This is a modern version of a classic and would take well to parties, picnics and simple dinners alike.

Makes 8 100g self-raising flour 2 eggs, whisked 100g caster sugar 100g soft butter 100g stoned dates, chopped finely 2tbs molasses or golden syrup 200g icing sugar 1 lemon 8 winter pansies Cream together the butter and sugar and slowly include the eggs a little at a time. The mixture may curdle, and if so fold in a tbs of the flour and then add more egg. Fold in the remaining flour, the dates and the molasses or syrup. Pour into individual cupcake cases and bake on 200C for 20 minutes. Leave to cool.

For the icing, add the juice of the lemon to the icing sugar and stir until smooth.

Pour over the cakes and dot with the pansies and any other decorations you like.

Enjoy on the same day.

Fresh berry salad with mint and nectarine

Too simple? Never. This is an essential part of a summer meal and is refreshing and nutritious in equal measure.

The nectarine adds a real sweetness and a rush of bright yellow, and the mint makes the dish invigorating and fresh.

Serves 4 1 punnet blueberries 1 punnet raspberries 1 punnet strawberries, halved if large 1 punnet blackberries 2 ripe nectarines, stoned and sliced 1 small bunch fresh mint, finely chopped 100ml fresh orange juice 1tbs granulated sugar Bring all the fruits to room temperature because this then encourages the flavour to combine and the mint to macerate the fruits.

Gently place all the fruits into a decorative bowl and sprinkle with the sugar.

Leave for half and hour to bring out the juices before adding the orange juice.

Angharad Binns is one of the world’s leading experts in Moroccan cuisine and celebrates her 40th year in cook-book publishing this year.

She continues to be a respected chef, even as she greets her 67th birthday in her home in Stevenage.

This book, Tagine, is a project that has been long-awaited by her loyal followers, and a task that Angharad has relished every moment of.

She spent a year at her home in Marakesh, researching the content, and re-visiting those places that have inspired her time and time again.

From souks and riads to the Atlas mountains and the edge of the Saharan desert.

With clear instructions and detailed notes, more than eight authentic recipes encompass the classical repertoire: fragrant slow cooked tagine, creamy hummus and piles of jewelled fruits.

Beautiful, authoritative and beguiling, this is a taste of Moroccan cooking at it’s best.

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