A Fragrant and Heavenly Moroccan Fish Tagine

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Tagine, the Moroccan stew, shares its name with the terra–cotta pot it’s traditionally cooked in, whose neat conical lid promotes convection and even cooking. I purchased my tagine from World Market and it is an oven-only tagine, different from the flame top versions that you can purchase at a much higher price. Everything I have made in my tagine comes out moist, tender and succulent. This fish stew recipe is no exception as it resulted in a fragrant and heavenly Moroccan Fish Tagine!

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The sauce that accompanies this stew is called a Mqualli, referring to the combination of ginger, saffron and oil. Chermoula is the marinade for the fish and is also used to top the vegetables. It is made from cilantro, garlic, lemon and a variety of spices. Both the Mqualli and the Chermoula create the fragrance and flavor in this dish that is both exotic and mouth watering. 

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Additionally in the tagine are preserved lemons and olives, adding to the essence of this dish. I make my own preserved lemons when Meyer lemons are in season and always have them available in the refrigerator for use. They’re lemons that have been pickled in salt and their own juices and left to sit for a month before using. They are simple to make and don’t come close to comparing with store bought varieties. 

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 I adapted this recipe to fit my tagine and would serve 2 large or 4 smaller portions. Once assembled, this dish takes about an hour to cook without any tending. When you remove the top, you are filled with the aromas of the Mediterranean and a meal that is fit for a queen!

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 MOROCCAN FISH TAGINE

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb. Mexican Sea Bass cut into 4 pieces
  • Chermoula (recipe below)
  • 1/4 large onion, cut into rings
  • 1 carrot and 1 celery stalk, cut into thin sticks
  • 9 small tri-colored fingerling potatoes, cut in halves or thirds
  • 1 tomato, seeded and cut into thin slices
  • 1/2 red bell pepper cut into rings
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
  • pinch of saffron threads, crumbled
  • 1/2 preserved lemon, cut in pieces or 1 fresh lemon, cut into thin slices
  • handful of Kalamata olives
  • 1/8 cup olive oil

Directions

Ahead of Time:

  1. Make the Chermoula. Reserve half of the chermoula, and mix the remaining half with the fish. Cover the fish, refrigerate it, and allow it marinate at least two hours or overnight.
  2. Slice the red pepper into rings.

To Make the Tagine:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. Pour the olive oil into a tagine, and distribute the onion slices across the bottom. Criss-cross the celery and carrot sticks in the center to form a bed for the fish.
  3. Mix the potatoes with the spices, and arrange the potatoes around the perimeter of the tagine. Top the potato with the tomato slices, and distribute the reserved Charmoula over the vegetables.
  4. Add the fish and its marinade to the center of the tagine, and arrange the strips of pepper on top of the fish in a decorative manner. Garnish the tagine with the lemon and olives, and sprinkle salt and pepper over all.
  5. Cover the tagine, and cook in the oven for about 1 hour, or until the fish and potatoes test done. Serve on individual plates and spoon the pan sauce over the fish and vegetables. 
 CHERMOULA

(I made one quarter of this recipe for my tagine and added a little extra oil)

Ingredients

  • 1 large bunch cilantro (coriander), finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ginger (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper(optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • juice of 1 small lemon

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. The chermoula is now ready to use.
  2. When marinating fish or chicken, you might want to add a little more oil or a tablespoon or two of water to thin the marinade so it’s easier to distribute over the fish.
  3. Leave the chermoula thick if using as a stuffing for fried fish.

Note

  • When using preserved lemons, eat only the outer skin and toss the rest as it is very bitter. Then rinse the skins well to get much of the salt taste removed. Slice and add to your stew. They are also great in vegetable dishes, on salads, in dressings and sauces, etc.
  • You can use a variety of types of fish for this recipe. Just make sure that it is a firm, thick fish and an oily variety is better for slow cooking, so it remains moist.

(Printable recipe can be found in my recipe index under Main Entrees) 

 

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2 opinions on “A Fragrant and Heavenly Moroccan Fish Tagine”

  1. Just wondering, after you go thru this process, can you take the lemon peels out and clean off the pulp and then put them in a seal a meal bag and throw them in the freezer for longer storage???

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    1. Hi Jan, You keep the whole lemons in a jar with their own juice in the refrigerator. You don’t clean off the pulp until you are going to use some of the lemon. Just take out what you need and put the rest back in the refrigerator. They will stay in the refrigerator like that for about a year!

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