I’ve often expressed my love for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Our brief interlude to Egypt had both the Boy and I drooling in anticipation on our daily Middle Eastern feasts. I just couldn’t understand the people on the same trip that had packed instant noodles and were lamenting that KFC was much too far away!
Truly, as Anthony Bourdain mentioned, why bother travelling if you are not going to immerse yourself in the local culture? God, forbid, you visit Japan, and the first place you go to is not the street side ramen stall, but to a Starbucks. A complete farce throughly.
Back to my love for the aforementioned cuisine. I just can’t get enough of it.
My most recent dining experience would be at MoMo where the decor alone brought nostalgia to our hearts.
Recently, the generous folks at Kitchenware Direct allowed me to choose from their product range, anything my heart desired at a budget. I pondered on the offer, clicked through the many items (they have so many!), when all of a sudden, my heart faltered, and I knew that I had found it.
It was shiny. It was red. It was perfect for two. It also looked pretty darn easy to clean and wash (WIN!). Not to mention, you can use it on your cooktop stove, in your oven and microwave.
So I politely asked for the Maxwell & Williams Microstoven Tagine from Kitchenware Direct.
You’re wondering, tagine? Isn’t that used mainly for Moroccan food?
Well, hotdiggedydang!! It is! And just between you and I (and Wiki), Moroccan food is an entire bazaar of flavours influenced by Berber, Arab, Mediterranean, as well as Moorish!
So, I hereby present to you, a delicious Moroccan favourite, fresh from my oven to you 🙂
Moroccan Lamb Tagine Recipe
Ingredients for Spice Marinade:
2 teaspoons of Sweet Paprika
1 teaspoons of Ground Ginger
1 teaspoon of Tumeric Powder
1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Ground Cinammon
1/2 teaspoon of Onion Salt
Other Ingredients:
250g of Lamb (sliced)
1/2 large Brown Onion (thinly sliced)
1 clove of Garlic (diced)
2 Tomatoes (chopped)
4-5 Saffron threads
1 Bay Leaf
25g of Dried Apricots
20g of Raisins or Sultanas
30g of Flaked Almonds
1 teaspoon of Honey
1/4 cup of Chicken Stock
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
Procedure:
Mix the ingredients for the spice marinade together. Add the lamb and toss to coat meat thoroughly with marinade. Leave covered in refrigerator overnight.
Take the meat out and let stand till it reaches room temperature.
Preheat oven at 160 degrees Celsius.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan (on medium heat). Add marinated lamb and cook for 1-2 minutes. You just want to brown the sides. Dish the lamb out and set aside.
Using the same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil on low heat. You might have some residue spice marinade in the pan, which is fine. It’ll help in the flavour department.
Add onions into the pan and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, which will help soften and caramelise it. After 4 minutes, add garlic and increase the heat to medium.
Add chicken stock which will help deglaze the pan. Scrape any bits stuck to the pan.
Add in all other ingredients: tomatoes, saffron threads, bay leaf, dried apricots, raisins/sultanas, flaked almonds and honey. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes.
Take the base of your tagine (bowl) and put it on the stove on low heat. You want the bowl hot when you transfer the ingredients later. Generally takes a few minutes only.
Add lamb into the pan and stir with all the other ingredients.
Transfer everything in the pan into the hot tagine bowl. Switch heat off. Put on the cover and carefully transfer into the oven. Use kitchen mitts as the bowl is hot!
Leave in the oven to cook for 1 hour on 160 degrees Celsius.
Take tagine out of the oven and serve. You can garnish the dish with coriander leaves.
Just in case you wanted to know, to get yourself one of these cool babies from Kitchenware Direct, these are the specs:
Maxwell & Williams Microstoven Tagine available from Kitchenware Direct.
Size: 19.5 cm (Perfect for cooking up dishes for 2 people)
Cleaning: Dishwasher safe. Easy to clean with its non-stick surface.
Suitable for Microwave, Stove and Oven. Available in Red, White or Black.
So tell me dear readers, what has been on your wishlist for the longest time that you always wanted?
the tagine looks so cute! and i love the colour. 🙂
I chose it because of the awesome colour!
Oh that is a brilliant size! My mum researched hard when when was looking for one for us to makes sure that it would be fine on the stove top as well as in the oven. Unfortunately, much as I do love it, it is rather large …
The one big item on my kitchen wish list at the moment is an ice cream maker – I know you can get cheaper versions of them but what I really want is the one that attaches to my mixer … total indulgence though so I believe it will sit on the list for a lot longer yet.
Hee hee…. I have taste and cleverness *ducks flying objects*
I need to get me a tagine!
Yes, you do!
I’ve been wanting a tagine for ages!! Tho I could never justify getting one since I don’t cook moroccan meals that much… but I want… ahhhh.
We’d been looking for ages as well, and this was like finding “the one!”
Love the vibrant colors of the food. I haven’t really tried Moroccan cuisine before but I do think this would be a great try! Thanks so much for sharing! Yum!
You are very welcome!
Just so you know, if you ever serve me a dish with squidgy raisins in it, I’m picking them out and leaving them on your table.
Hey, it’s better than throwing them at you head, right? 😉
Gorgeous tagine! How crazy that it works in the microwave too!
Yes, anything is better than you “apprently with no aim” throwing things at my head *ouch* :'(
The only time in my life I’ve hit the target… and the only time I didn’t actually want to. Wait, that’s why I did! Because I was aiming for not you, that’s why it hit you!
I don’t bewieve youuuuuu 😛
WAO-WEE!!!!! So great of you to be able to choose a product from their website and then share this recipe with us. My friend has one of these microstoven thingamabobs but NEVER uses it. I should prolly borrow it to try out this recipe. I love Middle Eastern food cause of the spices! Moroccan Lamb is prolly way up there in terms of fave foods from that category. Yummy lah, I-Hua =D
I know right? Yayy!! I love Middle Eastern food so much!
Have done this recipe before in my microstoven it is fab doing it again tomorrow for guests just needed to make sure i had got every thing right.
Moroccan and persian food is a favourite of mine and my fiance Si right now. We had some amazing chicken and lamb dishes cooked in a tagine when we were in Meknes in Morocco. I want a deep fat fryer and as soon as we move into our new flat that is exactly what I’m buying as a house-warming pressie to ourselves! Home-made chips (fries), stuffed courgette flowers, donuts…:-)
Oh stuffed courgette flowers! Is that the same as zucchini flowers?
Ohhh i’ve always been so interested to see what they use these little pointy baking dishes for 🙂 I was close to buying one last time I was at Essential but then Mr Bao stopped me because we had no idea what we were going to cook with it hahaha thanks for sharing now mayb now I can convince him to buy me one hahha
HAHAHAH You crack me up Daisy.. “little pointy baking dishes”.. hahahahaha
Gorgeous looking tagine – I have never cooked a tagine in the oven before – always on the stove top, but it looks like this worked well.
IT DID! I love it.. we’ve used a couple of other times now.. and it’s been brilliant!
Yummm! I wish I could reach into the screen and pack this away for my lunch today:)
Do you think the result would still be ok if one made this in a normal casserol dish?
Maybe? I haven’t a clue. I’m sure the pointy bit of the tagine is what allows the flavours to incorporate into the food, a casserole dish may be a bit flat, and the temperature different? I dunno! Sorry! In theory, it could work!
Such a pretty colour! I wonder if it comes in yellow… 😀
I don’t think so! Check out the website 🙂
i’ve always wanted a tagine but i still don’t have one! looks lovely 🙂
Get one 🙂 They’re really easy to use!
Can I do all of the first steps (the stovetop steps) in the base/bowl of the tagine? Why do I need to use another pan and then transfer? Also, I’m planning on making this later today, but don’t have lamb in the house. Can I use cut up boneless skinless turkey breast? What do you think? THANKS!
Hi there please tell me can I use my tagine on a open flame as gas stove or weber or on the braai fire
Just by looking at the images it made me mouth-watering , i will surely try to cook this on my own.