Moroccan Meat and Potato Tagine Ingredients and Preparation

Moroccan Meat and Potato Tagine Ingredients and Preparation 

This easy recipe for lamb and potato stew (called a tagine) is a popular family meal in Morocco and is traditionally cooked in a tagine (a ceramic or clay vessel by the same name). However, this recipe offers three different methods for cooking the dish—tagine, pot, and pressure cooker—so you can choose which is best for you. The meat can be lamb, beef, or goat meat, and carrots or other vegetables can be added to the recipe. Use as much preserved lemon as you like—the more lemon, the tangier the dish; they will also add saltiness, so adjust the seasoning accordingly.

Moroccans serve the stews directly from the tagine in which it was cooked. Moroccan bread is traditionally used as a utensil to scoop everything up, and harrisa (hot chili pepper paste) can be offered as a condiment.

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
1 large onion (sliced for tagine, chopped for pot or pressure cooker)
3 cloves garlic (pressed or finely chopped)
1 1/2 pounds/700 grams potatoes (peeled and sliced for tagine, cut into wedges for pot or pressure cooker)
1 pound/about 1/2 kilogram lamb, beef, or goat meat
2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Optional: Pinch of saffron threads (crumbled)
A small handful of fresh parsley or cilantro sprigs (tied into a bouquet for tagine, chopped for pot or pressure cooker)
Large handful of red or green olives
1/2 or 1 whole preserved lemon (quartered)
1 1/2 cups water for tagine (3 cups for pot or pressure cooker)
Steps to Make It
Tagine Method
Pour the olive oil into the base of a tagine; arrange the onion slices across the bottom and distribute the garlic on top. Add the potato slices (you can arrange them neatly if you like) and place the meat on top of the potatoes in the center.


Sprinkle the spices as evenly as possible over the meat and potatoes. Add the parsley bouquet, olives, preserved lemon, and about 1 1/2 cups of water.


Cover the tagine and place on a diffuser over medium-low to medium heat and allow the tagine to reach a simmer. This can take some time, so be patient. Once a simmer is achieved, reduce the heat to the lowest temperature necessary to maintain the simmer, and cook for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is very tender and can be pulled apart with your fingers.

Conventional Pot Method
Mix the meat with chopped onion, garlic, chopped parsley, spices, and olive oil in a large pot. Brown the meat, uncovered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.


Add 3 cups of water and cover. Simmer the meat for about 1 1/2 hours.

Add the potatoes, olives, and preserved lemon, adding water if necessary so that the broth almost reaches the top of the potatoes. Partially cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is reduced until thick. Toward the end of the cooking, taste for salt and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Pressure Cooker Method

Mix the meat with chopped onion, garlic, chopped parsley, spices, and olive oil. Brown the meat, uncovered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add 3 cups of water and cover. Cook the meat with pressure for about 35 minutes, or a little longer if using lamb or goat meat.

Add the potatoes, olives, and preserved lemon, adding water if necessary so that the broth almost reaches the top of the potatoes. Partially cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is reduced until thick. Toward the end of the cooking, taste for salt and adjust the seasoning if necessary.