Tagine, couscoussier and kitchen tools
Which tagine to buy, how to season it so it does not crack, the couscoussier, and the few tools that change the cooking.
Moroccan cooking needs little equipment, but each piece has its rules. Most cracked tagines were either never seasoned or put on a flame that was too high.
In short
- There are cooking tagines and serving tagines. The painted, glazed ones in souvenir shops are for serving only.
- Season a new clay tagine before its first use, and always cook on low heat with a heat diffuser.
- Never put a hot tagine on a cold surface, or cold water into a hot tagine.
- A couscoussier steams the grain three times over the stew. No other pot gives the same couscous.
Choosing a tagine
- Unglazed clay
- The traditional cooking tagine. It gives the most flavour, needs seasoning and gentle heat, and keeps the taste of what was cooked in it.
- Plain glazed clay
- Easier to clean; it still needs gentle heat. Check that it is sold for cooking and free of lead.
- Cast iron or steel base with a clay lid
- Works on every hob, induction included, and can brown the meat first. Heavier and more expensive.
- Decorated serving tagine
- For bringing the dish to the table. Never on the heat.
- Size
- 26 to 28 cm for two or three people, 30 to 32 cm for four to six, 35 cm and more for a family meal.
Seasoning a clay tagine
- Soak the base and the lid in cold water for at least two hours, or overnight.
- Let them dry, then rub the inside of both with olive oil.
- Put them in a cold oven, set it to 150 °C and leave them for two hours.
- Turn the oven off and let the tagine cool inside, without opening the door.
- Wash with warm water, dry, and rub with a little oil once more.
Cooking with it
- Gas: the lowest flame, with a metal heat diffuser between the flame and the clay.
- Electric and ceramic hobs: a diffuser as well, and start cold.
- Induction: a clay tagine does not work. Use a cast iron base, or cook in the oven.
- Oven: start cold, at 160 to 180 °C.
- Start with oil and onions, add the rest, and do not lift the lid for the first half hour.
- If it needs liquid, add warm water, never cold.
- Put the hot tagine on wood or on a folded cloth, never on stone, tiles or a wet surface.
Washing and storing
- Let it cool completely. Then warm water and a soft brush; no washing-up liquid on unglazed clay, or the next dish tastes of it.
- Stuck food: fill with warm water and a spoon of bicarbonate of soda, wait, then brush.
- Dry it in the air for a full day before putting it away. Clay stored damp goes mouldy.
- Store it with the lid slightly open, with a piece of paper towel between the lid and the base.
- Mould after a long time in the cupboard: scrub with coarse salt and vinegar, rinse, dry in a low oven and oil again.
The other tools
- Couscoussier (borma and keskas)
- A tall pot for the stew and a steamer that fits on top. Aluminium is light and traditional; stainless steel lasts and works on induction. Seal the joint between the two with a strip of cloth dipped in flour and water, so that the steam goes through the grain.
- Gsaa
- A wide, shallow dish in clay or wood, for working couscous by hand and kneading bread. A very large mixing bowl replaces it.
- Brass mortar (mehraz)
- For garlic, saffron, spices and herbs. Dry it at once after washing.
- Tanjia
- The tall clay jar of Marrakech, cooked slowly in embers. At home: a low oven for five to six hours.
- Pressure cooker
- The everyday pot of Moroccan homes today: harira, a weekday tagine, chickpeas.
Spices and the cupboard
- Buy whole spices where you can and grind small amounts: ground spices lose their smell in about six months.
- Keep them in closed jars, away from the hob and the light.
- Ras el hanout is a mix, and each shop has its own. Buy little, from a shop that sells a lot.
- Saffron: threads, never powder. Keep it dark and dry.
- Preserved lemons and olives keep for months in their brine in the fridge. Use a clean fork.
- Argan oil for eating is made from roasted kernels: it is darker, with a taste of nuts. The cosmetic oil is not roasted. Do not mix them up.
Mistakes to avoid
- First use straight on a high flame.
- Cold water into a hot tagine.
- Washing-up liquid on unglazed clay.
- Putting it away damp, with the lid closed.
- Cooking in a decorated serving tagine.