Kefta Mkaouara

Moroccan Spicy egg, meatball and tomato Tagine.

I love cooking in my tagine but I have to admit that I don't use it often enough. This dish gave me a great reason to use it. I got this recipe from Rick Stein's Mediterranean escapes. He visited Chefchaouen, a town in northwest Morocco where this simple dish is the local staple.


It's simply spicy meatballs in a tomato sauce with eggs. How can you go wrong with that? I love the way the runny egg yolk blends into the tomato sauce when you eat it giving it a creamy texture. Yum.


If you want to try this, you can get the recipe from here.

You don't have to cook it in a tagine but if you have one handy, then why not?

Bon Appetite,
Cherrie

Chicken Tagine

My first Tagine recipe.

I've had my tagine (or tajine) for a couple of years now and never used it. I've had it on the kitchen bench for display purposes only until today. I got this from the spice bazaar which was part of the Melbourne food and wine festival. A tagine can be referred to as a type of dish or the cooking vessel the food is cooked in.

Before cooking with it, I had to season it - like you would with a wok. I soaked it in warm water for 1 hour then dried it with a towel. I then rubbed the inside with olive oil then placed it on the stove (using a heat defuser) over a low heat for about 30 minutes. An oven can also be used, by placing the tagine in a cold oven with the temperature set to 150c.

There were lots of tagine type dishes but I couldn't find one that uses a tagine as a cooking vessel. I looked through all my cook books and couldn't find a recipe that I liked so I made up my own :) As usual, I used ingredients I had in my fridge and pantry and I have to say that it turned out really delicious (if I say so, myself). It was spicy with a slight tang from the lemon juice poured in at the end. I don't think I'll change anything from this recipe except make larger quantities next time.

I served this with cous cous and honeyed carrots.

• 500 grams Chicken thighs on the bone


• 1/2 tsp paprika


• 1/2 cayenne powder


• 1 tsp ground coriander seeds


• 1 tsp ground cumin seeds


• 1 tsp tumeric powder


• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped


• 1 potato, peeled and cubed


• 1/2 red capsicum, diced


• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved


• 1 brown onion, chopped


• 4 garlic cloves, crushed


• 4 tbls lemon juice


• 200grams of canned chickpeas


• olive oil


• salt and pepper

1. Rub the spices into the chicken and let sit for about 30 minutes


2. Brown the chicken thighs in the tagine then remove to a plate


3. Saute the garlic and onions till transparent then add the capsicum


4. Cook for 2-3 mins


5. Add the potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes


6. Return the chicken to the tagine


7. Pour in 100ml of water


8. Place the tomatoes on top


9. Simmer for 20minutes with the lid on


10. Turn the chicken and add the chickpeas and lemon juice


11. Simmer for another 10 minutes.


12. Check for seasoning.


13. Serve with cous cous

Chicken Tagine @ Group Recipes




Bon Appetite
Cherrie