Meatball Tagine

I've never been to Morocco but in the last couple of years I've developed a real obsession with Moroccan tagines. I think this started when I was visiting Malta and decided to host a Moroccan party for my entire family one year. Given the size of my family, I had to think big and come up with some amazing tagines...which I did in the form of a spicy chicken and a slow cooked meatball tagine. They were so delicious that since then a good slow cooked tagine has become one of my staples.

Below I give the recipe for my favourite meatball tagine, which absolutely has to be slow cooked for a long time in either a Moroccan pot as I do, or a slow cooker or crockpot will also do the trick. It is perfect for any time of the year, and you can up or remove the spices according to your preferences. Me? I like it hot!!

Moroccan Meatball Tagine

Ingredients

Beef meatballs (feel free to make your own)
5 cloves garlic
2 tbsp ginger
1 tbsp harissa paste (again, feel free, but it's a lot of work!)
chilli peppers (quantity according to taste)
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp lemon juice
saffron (couple of small strands)
beef stock
flaked almonds
golden raisins
1 chopped carrot
2 chopped onions

Method

Heat some oil in your pot and sear off the meatballs. This will ensure that they stay whole and juicy. Remove from the fire.

Seared meatballs

Put the onions, chillis and ginger in the hot oil and sauté for a few minutes. Add in the garlic and all the spices and harissa. Stir well. Then stick the meatballs back in and allow all the tasty spices and flavours to infuse for a minute or two, whilst on a low heat.

This creates the world's best smell,
and wait til you add the spices!

Add the carrots, raisins and almonds, followed by the tomatoes, beef stock and lemon juice. Stir well, add the saffron and bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer for at least a couple of hours. I like to transfer the mix to the oven at this point, to allow the tagine dish to do its thing.

Halfway there!

Bring out in time for dinner, add a toot more almonds and dish up. Absolutely delicious!

After a couple of hours, it's ready to go!

Science Corner

Boyfriend and I have often discussed the merits of cooking in a tagine rather than a stewing pot. This is why it's better:

The conical shape of the tagine makes it a uniquely hot, moist environment for cooking in. Due to the wide base and the snug fit of the lid, steam rises into the cone, condenses and then trickles down the sides into the dish. This means you don't need to add as much water to the dish, but the meat won't dry out and will tenderise beautifully. As for the flavours...well, try the above recipe!