Tagine: Spicy Stews from Morocco [Hardcover]

Ghillie Basan (Author), Martin Brigdale (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2007

Few meals are more satisfying than a hearty tagine--the rich, fragrant Moroccan stew that is served from its own elegant cooking vessel, also called a tagine. Meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables are simmered gently in the steam of the pot's conical lid, and the food, deliciously flavored with spices and fruit, remains tender and moist. In Ghillie Basan's collection of aromatic tagines you will find some of the best-loved classics of the Moroccan kitchen, such as Lamb Tagine with Prunes, Apricots, and Almonds, and the tangy Chicken Tagine with Green Olives and Lemon. Also included are less traditional but equally delectable recipes for beef and meatball tagines. If you enjoy a succulent fish dish, you can try Monkfish Tagine with Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, and Olives, or Red Mullet with Lemon and Mint. For vegetarians there is a varied choice, from a sweet, syrupy tagine of Yams, Carrots, and Prunes to a summery dish of Artichoke Hearts with Peas and Saffron. *Every recipe includes suggestions for accompaniments and side dishes. *The perfect introduction to the distinctive tastes of Morocco.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ghillie Basan is a food writer and restaurant critic who runs workshops for cooks in the Scottish highlands. She has written a number of books on classic cuisines of the Middle East and South-east Asia. Tagine is her first book for Ryland Peters & Small.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Ryland Peters & Small (August 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845974794
• ISBN-13: 978-1845974794
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 7.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > African
  • #27 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Meals > Soups & Stews
  • #91 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Culinary Arts & Techniques

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Tagines, February 27, 2008

By 

J. A. Vanderschaaf (Auckland, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tagine: Spicy Stews from Morocco (Hardcover)

After having received this book a few months ago I have been making Tagines every weekend. No one has complained yet!! The recipes are superb. Wonderfully easy to put together. Since I have a moroccan tagine I always put the tagine in the oven at 180 degrees celcius for an hour and half plus an extra 20-30 minutes or so for additional vegetables, flavours, etc.

There is an excellent recipe for plain couscous and a wonderful country
salad at the back of the book. My favourite tagines are the slightly sweet ones with dates, prunes, apricots and the different types of nuts that are added toward the end of the cooking time. There is also a wonderful Lamb, Zuchinni and tomato tagine that has both dried mint and
fresh mint added to it. There is also a really nice minced beef tagine
with wonderfully tasting preserved lemons which are very easy to make yourself.

If per change the tagine is more meat than vegetable then I make the
roasted pumpkin couscous from Julie Le Clercs 'Made in Morocco'.

A wonderful addition to the 'Tagines' is the book "Modern Moroccan" also
by Ghillie Basan which has a wonderful broad bean salad and carrot salad in it.

I have not used a cook book as much I have used 'Tagine'
This is definately a keeper on the cookbook shelf.

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deceptively simple..., January 1, 2008

By 

Ann K. Hupe - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tagine: Spicy Stews from Morocco (Hardcover)

I bought this book after skimming through a store copy at an Allen and Peterson Appliance Store in Kenai, Alaska, and this book convinced me to splurge for an Emile Henry tagine.

This book may not be a 400-page tome of every single Moroccan delicacy, but the recipes are stunning. Also, it gave me enough inspiration to experiment with different ingredients.

I found the list of references to be extremely helpful. And I thought I knew practically all the good foodie sites on the Internet.

What I also liked is that I didn't have to make or purchase a ton of condiments before I had a chance to play with the recipes. However, it is essential to make the preserved lemons. I found that the Meyer lemon was the best. (However, I had to find a huge jar just to hold these large fruits!)

Yummy!! Definitely great comfort food during an Alaskan winter. And don't forget the couscous!

47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps this would be more popular if it were called "Simple Stews", September 6, 2008

By 

Esther Schindler (Scottsdale, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tagine: Spicy Stews from Morocco (Hardcover)

This is an extremely nice set of recipes, all of which were designed to be cooked in a tagine. The title's implication is that if you aren't serious enough to buy one of the conical cookpots, this probably isn't for you (the way a Waffle Cookbook expects you to own a waffle iron); but I have zero problems cooking these dishes in an ordinary chicken fryer, and I can't see that I'm missing anything. (Mind you I wouldn't *mind* one of those pretty tagines, but it hasn't become a necessity yet.) Basically, these are stews or braises... which sounds much less intimidating and exotic, doesn't it?

If you own a general Moroccan cookbook (I have and like Cooking at the Kasbah, plus I've read a few others) you'll certainly find a few tagine recipes, but most of the overview cookbooks stick with a few standards. (Unfortunately for me, that usually means lamb and/or olives, neither of which we eat.) With 25 tagine recipes in this collection, obviously there is a wider range, and not all of them will make you point and say, "Oh, I need to go to the middle-east market to make that!"

For example, the recipe I made so far -- spicy chicken tagine with apricots, rosemary and ginger -- uses ingredients you can find at your local grocery store. It was also breathlessly easy to throw together for a midweek supper: saute onion, rosemary, ginger, chiles; throw in a cinnamon stick; brown the chicken thighs; add a few more items (such as dried apricots and a can of tomatoes) and simmer for 40 minutes. Serve with couscous. I won't need to tell you to smack your lips and say, "Yum!"

A few recipes do call for typical Moroccan ingredients, such as the chile-spice paste call harissa (which you can buy in gourmet markets, if you don't feel like following the author's recipe) and preserved lemons (also available in gourmet markets, though they're *really* easy to make if you happen to find a decent price for a bag of lemons).

There are 6 lamb tagines (such as one with quinces, figs, and honey), 3 beef tagines (one has beets and oranges), 3 chicken, 4 fish, and so on. The 6 vegetarian options don't turn me on all that much (though "baby eggplants with cilantro and mint" sounds good), so I wouldn't encourage a vegetarian to buy this book. Every recipe has a photo of the finished dish.

Overall, though, this is a nice little cookbook -- and you don't have to buy any hardware before you invest in it.