Moroccan Tagine

Tagines have become very popular lately, and with good reason. Tagines cook food beautifully, and they are relatively inexpensive. The high conical—or dome-shaped—cover, which fits into the shallow base, acts as a kind of closed chimney. Since the heat on a stovetop comes from below, the top of the cover remains cooler than the rest of the pot, which causes steam to condense and drip back onto the stew, preventing the food from drying out.

There are three basic types of earthenware tagines: fully glazed, elaborately decorated vessels, which are used only for serving, and the simply glazed and unglazed earthenware tagines, which are used for cooking as well as serving. My personal favorite is a mica-rich unglazed tagine from southern Morocco. And like a Scotsman’s clay pipe or a Japanese teapot, it has become seasoned through use, acquiring a lovely patina.