Tagine Recipes & other Recipes

Tagine - Cold Winter Months

2010-05-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

With the cold weather here, a Tagine meal is an idea family dinner idea.
It is so easy to do, just place the ingredients into the tagine pot and let it cook for a couple of hours. Make some Cous Cous and there you have it. A fantastic meal for the who family.

Check out our great range of tagines

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SBS Food Safari - Orecchiette con cime di rapa

2010-05-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

Orecchiette con cime di rapa - This was a very easy dish to cook, and amazingly, the teenage kids loved it. We didn't think we would have any left for us. The recipe can be found here:

http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/italianfoodsafari/recipes/detail/recipe/9107

We used Durum Flour instead which was lovely. You can get the flour from this site. The services was fantastic:

Rick Stein's Cha Ca

2010-05-08T14:12:00.001-07:00

http://www.gourmetcookshop.com.au/

a simple lovely dish, ideal for a hot summers day with a glass of wine. If you get the book, well worth trying

Rick Stein's Cha Ca

2010-05-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend will be the Fried Fish with Turmeris and Dill ( Cha Ca ). It looks so simple on the TV and Rick mentions it was life changing for him. Lets see how it matches up. I'll update the notes and add pictures during the weekend

Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey

2010-05-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

Now this is a cookbook to die for. Linh came across the ABC show last week, so she rushed out to buy a copy. On Saturday we tried the Khmer Pork, Coconut and Pineapple Curry along with the Cured Beef Salad with Lemongrass, peanuts and basil. So amazing ! The Taste was sensational.

Even the kids loved it. Now the task will be to keep going through the recipe book and making the rest. We'll keep you posted.

Linh is waiting for the DVD to be released in June from the ABC, but for the time being we'll have to watch it on the TV as well as read the book

watch the series

Gourmet Cook goes onto Twitter

2010-05-03T15:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we've updated this blog, but we've been out trying new and exciting dishes. In the coming months we'll update this blog to let you know what recipes books we've been reviewing and what the recipes are like.

Some of these will be available from our online store, or from the major retailers. At the moment the team are watching the SBS food Safari for exciting ideas, and we've just got the new Rick Stein cookbook. More to come...

As always, you can browse the site and order online or ask questions

http:\\www.gourmetcookshop.com.au

Tagine of Lamb Shanks

2008-08-25T19:17:00.001-07:00

(This is a lovely hearty dish, an ideal winter warmer. This recipe easily fed our family of five)

Ingredients

Paste
8 cloves of garlic
1TB chopped ginger
1TB chopped galangal or 2tsp powder (optional)
1 chilli
2tsp sea salt flakes
1 tsp ground mixed peppercorns
4 shallots thinly sliced
1TB each of Ras El Hanout and Moorish Harira spice mix
6TB olive oil
2TB fish sauce
2TB palm sugar or raw sugar

3 lamb shanks about 1.5 kgs – ask your butcher to cut in half as it’s easier to manage
2 carrots cut into wedges
2 potatoes cut into wedges
4 salad onions quartered
250gm mini roma tomatoes quartered (or about 2-3 vine ripened tomatoes
4 semi dried apricots halved
4 fresh or dried dates halved
4 bay leaves
200 ml chicken stock (approximate)
Lime and extra fish sauce to serve

Method

Paste
Blend or grind the garlic, ginger, galangal and chilli to make a coarse paste.
Mix in the sea salt and peppercorns.
Add to this mixture the sliced shallots, ras el hanout, Moorish harissa and olive oil. Mix in to combine.
Place mixture in medium frypan on high heat and cook for about 3 minutes, you should start to smell the beautiful aroma from the mixture.
Turn down heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add the fish sauce and palm sugar and continue to cook for about another minute or two till mixture starts to caramalise a bit then turn off heat and set aside.

Season the lamb shanks with some salt and pepper.
Place shanks in the tagine and drizzle the paste over the shanks. Turn the shanks to coat in the paste.
Put tagine on stove on medium/low heat .
Add the remaining ingredients (only pour enough stock to cover base of tagine) and stir through.
Place lid on tagine and let it heat up.
Once this is heated up and starts bubbling a bit turn down heat to low and allow to cook for 2-3 hours (till the lamb becomes tender and falls off the bone).
Please be aware that during the cooking process extra juices can develop so the best thing to do is when you see it start to surface and bubble between the base and the lid, skim some out then replace lid. Continue to do this till it settles. Alternatively if you find the liquid is drying out add extra stock.
If you prefer to use the oven – then transfer the tagine to the oven (temperature about 150°C ) after it has heated up on the stove top. (See Note for another alternative)
Just before serving sprinkle with some fish sauce and a squeeze of lime juice.
Serve with plain cooked rice.

(Note: for those who are fortunate enough to have a lovely combustion or pot belly fireplace and you happen to have it going all day, after you bring the tagine to the boil transfer it to sit on your fireplace. I can guarantee you that this is an exceptional way to slow cook your tagine. I tend to leave mine on there till ready to serve. Although watch if the surface of your fireplace does get too hot then remove from heat once lamb is cooked and tender similar as you would on a stove top)

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Baharat Beef Tagine

2008-06-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

This is a great recipe. Very tasty, very simple. This was cooked up in a 35cm tagine and serves about 4 people.

Ingredients

800gms Gravy Beef cubed
2 TB Baharat Spice mix
½ TB Harissa Spice (optional – this just adds a little spice to the dish)
½ an eggplant cubed
1 clove of garlic crushed and roughly chopped
1 onion diced
2 vine ripened tomatoes roughly chopped
1 TB chopped parsley
Salt & pepper to taste
3 slices of lemon
Olive Oil
Chicken stock (alternatively use white wine) – just enough to cover the base of the tagine (about ½ cup)

Method

Mix the spices with enough olive oil to form a paste (I used about 2TB).
Place the beef in the tagine and mix in the spice paste to combine.
Mix in the garlic and onion.
Place the eggplant on top of the beef.
Next place the tomatoes on.
Sprinkle the chopped parsley on top and place the lemon slices round the top of the parsley.
Season with salt and pepper.
Pour in enough stock or wine to cover the base of the tagine.
Place your lid on. Put on coal burner or gas stove at low heat and let cook for about 2 hours (or till meat is tender).
Serve with cous cous or rice.

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CHERMOULA PRAWNS – BBQ

2008-06-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

This is a great way of doing prawns on the bbq or coal burner. Vary the recipe according to taste.

Ingredients
12 x Large Green King Prawns
1 – 2 TB Chermoula spice
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
Skewers
Squeeze of lemon/lime
Sea salt to taste

Method
Remove the heads on the prawns.
Using scissors, cut along the underside of the prawns down to the tail.
Combine chermoula and oil in a large bowl and mix to a paste.
Toss through the prawns and coat thoroughly
Squeeze some lemon juice over the prawns and sprinkle with sea salt.
Allow to marinate to at least 1 hour.
Thread skewers through the prawns so the are straight.
Place on the open grill of the bbq or coal burner turning occasionally till cooked. This should only take about 2-3 minutes.
Serve as an entrée or as part of a main dish with extra lime/lemon wedges.

supplied by www.gourmetcookshop.com.au

Pork and Egg Stew

2008-06-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
6 hard boiled eggs
1/2 kg pork spare ribs (not American spare ribs) - use other cut of pork if desired
1 TB dark soy sauce
5 TB fish sauce (to taste)
2 TB palm sugar or raw sugar
Drizzle of oil (olive oil or peanut oil)
1/2 cup of water
White pepper to taste (we use approximately 1/2 tsp)

Method
Place all ingredients in the clay pot and mix to combine.
Put lid on clay pot and place on medium heat.
When it comes to the boil, turn heat down to low and leave for about 1 hour or till meat is tender —checking and stirring from time to time (add extra water if desired).
Serve as part of a banquet meal with rice.

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Vietnamese Fish Stew

2008-06-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
250 gm Fish cutlet / fillet (use firm white fish such as Kingfish, Mackerel or swordfish)
1 TB dark soy sauce
2 TB fish sauce (to taste)
1 TB palm sugar or raw sugar
White pepper to taste (we used about 1/2 teaspoon)
Oil for cooking

Method
Combine dark soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and a drizzle of oil in clay pot
Place on medium heat and stir till sugar dissolves
Place fish in pot turning the fish to coat in sauce
Add about 3TB water to the pot and put lid on
Once it comes to the boil reduce heat to low and season with white pepper
Replace lid and let cook for about 1/2 an hour
Check from time to time and add water if needed.
Serve as part of a meal with rice.

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Spinach Soup

2008-06-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

(This is a gorgeous soup that can be whipped up in no time and just tastes fantastic. My children even love it seeing as it’s bound to make them as strong as Pop Eye)

500gm frozen chopped spinach – defrosted (I find the frozen spinach tastes just as good and much more convenient)
4-5 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped finely
100gm butter
Ricotta cheese
Chicken stock
Freshly ground pepper
Parmesan cheese – shredded

In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter on medium high heat.
Add the garlic and gently fry till fragrant – do not let the garlic burn as it will be hard and bitter.
Add the spinach and gently fry on medium heat for about 3 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and turn up the heat till it boils. Then turn back down low to simmer for about 5 minutes.
Once done blend it all together to make a smooth soup. I prefer to use a hand mixer and just blend it together whilst still in the saucepan, this makes for less cleaning up. Otherwise use a food processor then once done put back into saucepan.
Turn the stove on low and slowly fold in the ricotta cheese so as not to curdle.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve in individual soup bowls and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top.
Serve with crusty bread.

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Pasata

2008-06-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

(Pasata is really just a cross between a tomato paste and a sauce. There are so many variations you can do with this and it’s great for use in casserole bases, pizza base or as a pasta sauce. This sauce will keep for about 5 days, or you can freeze it for up to several months.)

1 x 450g tin of Italian whole peeled tomatoes
2-3 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped
1-2 TB Bush Tomato and Oregano Salt Blend
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a heavy based pan fry the garlic in the extra virgin olive oil (I use about 2-3 TB) till fragrant – do not let the garlic burn as this will make it bitter.
Add the tin of tomatoes including the juices. Turn down the heat to low-medium low.
Whilst stirring the tomatoes around try and break them up

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Chicken Tagine with almonds, zucchini and carrots

2008-06-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

(The proportions used in this recipe can be cooked up in a 25cm Emile Henry Tagines or Traditional Moroccan Tagines)

500gm chicken thigh fillets sliced up in strips or cubed
1 onion chopped
1 clove of garlic chopped
Half a zucchini julienned and soaked in cold water till required
Half a carrot julienned and soaked in cold water till required (this gives it a beautiful curly look)
2 TB of almond slivers
1 – 2 TB of Moroccan La Karma spice (depending on taste – I used 2 TB)
1/3 a cup of Pasata (tomato sauce/paste – see our recipe on how to make your own)
Salt to taste (I like to use just a dash of fish sauce as it just adds to the flavour)
Some olive oil for cooking

Place your Emile Henry Tagine on the stove on medium heat and add some olive oil.
Once the oil has heated add the onions and garlic and fry gently till the onions are soft.
Add the Moroccan La Karma spice and mix through – add a little water if needed so it doesn’t cake onto the bottom and burn.
Now add the chicken and stir so that they are well coated in the spice mix. Fry for about 3 minutes.
Turn the heat up then add the pasata. Stir to combine.
This combination is quite tasty as is, however if you like add some salt or fish sauce to taste.
Bring to the boil then turn the heat right down low. Cover and let cook on low heat for about 20-30 minutes. (Stir occasionally just to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom too much)
After this time remove lid and scatter the carrots and zucchini on top. Put lid back on and continue to cook for another 30-40 minutes.
In the meantime, in a small frypan, fry up the almonds in some olive oil on low-medium heat.
Stir constantly till almonds turn a light golden brown but do not allow to burn. Then set aside.
Once tagine is cooked, sprinkle the almonds on top and serve.
Fantastic served on a bed of rice or cous cous.

We hope that you enjoy this dish

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