Moroccan Tangia Marrakeshia
Tangia, not tagine! I must admit to being confused when I first heard of this famous slow-cooked Marrakech dish which is prepared in a clay pot called a tangia. And I was lucky to be introduced to Mohamed Soudani who was sitting outside a hamman in the medina waiting for his tangia to be cooked. Instead of cooking it at home, it is often taken to be cooked in the embers from the fire used to heat the hammam. And because it’s mostly unmarried men who cook it, it’s often referred to as “bachelor’s stew”.
Inroduction
About this Recipe
By Sheridan Rogers
This recipe was kindly given to me by Redouane Belbaz, a Sydney-based Moroccan chef whose Afous restaurant at The Spit, Mosman, was very popular. Sadly it closed late June but will re-open as soon as Redouane and his partner find new premises. “It’s very important to start the cooking process in a cold oven,” says Redouane.
Ingredients
Serves 6 -8
- lamb or beef, 2Kg, preferably on the bone, cut into 10cm pieces,
- medium onion, 1, chopped
- garlic, 8 cloves, chopped
- fresh parsely or coriander, a large handful, chopped
- ras el hanout, 2 tablespoons
- ground cumin, 2 tablespoons
- sea salt, 1 1/4 teaspoons
- saffron threads, 1 teaspoon, heated gently and crumbled
- ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon
- ground ginger, 1 teaspoon
- ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon
- ground white pepper, 1/2 teaspoon
- preserved lemon rind, 1/2, finely chopped
- preserved lemon, 1/2 cut into wedges
- olive oil, 1/4 cup
- water, 80 – 100ml
Combine the meat, onion, garlic, parsley, spices and chopped preserved lemon rind. Transfer the seasoned meat mixture to the tangia or other deep casserole. Add the olive oil, preserved lemon wedges and water.
Cover the top of the tangia with a circle of baking paper which should be cut a little larger than the diameter of the opening. Cover the baking paper with a layer of aluminium foil wrapping and sealing the foil snugly to the tangia. Pierce the paper in two or three places with a fork.
Place the tangia or casserole in a cold oven. Set temperature to 140C and cook for 5 – 6 hours or until meat is falling off the one and tender.
Serve the tangia on a large platter with khobz (Moroccan bread) for scooping up the meat and sauce.