Ask a Moroccan family about their cooking and two words always come first: tagine and couscous. One is a slow, patient stew; the other, a feast shared from one large dish. Together they say almost everything about the Moroccan table — generosity, spices used with restraint, and time.
The tagine: slow cooking under a cone
The tagine is both the dish and the pot it is cooked in: a shallow terracotta plate with a tall conical lid that sends the steam back over the food. Meat, vegetables and spices simmer gently for hours until everything is tender.
- Chicken with preserved lemon and olives — the great classic, fragrant and bright.
- Lamb with prunes and almonds — sweet and savoury, for festive days.
- Vegetables of the season — simple and colourful, cooked in their own juices.
A tagine is never rushed: time is its first ingredient.
Couscous: the Friday dish
Couscous is fine semolina, steamed several times until it is light and airy, then crowned with vegetables and a fragrant broth. In Morocco it is traditionally the Friday dish, the one families share after the midday prayer. The most famous version brings together seven vegetables.
