Tazhin: what kind of dishes, materials and tips for choosing

Cooking exotic dishes in accordance with all culinary canons often requires the use of special devices that give the food an authentic taste and the correct consistency. Tagine also belongs to this category - a special type of cookware that allows you to always get excellent results in the kitchen. It is especially common in African countries, where most of the dishes are cooked over an open fire.

Tazhin makes great meat and stewed vegetables. With such a device, baking and other methods of long-term cooking will become available even to inexperienced housewives.

This one is traditional for Moroccan cuisine the vessel consists of a lid of an unusual conical shape with a flat top and a base, where food is placed. Tagines are produced in different capacities and sizes. One thing remains the main thing - the method of cooking, and it has been known since the time of the ancient Maghreb. And over the centuries of its use, tajin and the dishes prepared in it did not cause any complaints.

Traditional for Morocco, this type of tableware easily took root in France, which had owned African colonies for many years. Today, restaurant dishes are prepared in it, and homemade delights of healthy cooking are pampered. Tagine himself looks like a pot with a wide base, made of ceramic or metal. The height of the cover is on average three times the size of the sides - this is necessary for the formation of a special microclimate inside. There is a small hole in the conical part to drain excess steam.

It is customary to cook meat and poultry in tagine - it is here that they acquire a special taste value, become soft and tender. Due to the height of the lid, the cooking process in a closed container is as follows:

• boiling water rises during cooking;
• condensed steam flows down the walls to the base of the pot and evaporates again;
• cooking takes place at once according to two technologies: with direct heating of the bottom and with steam action from above.

Due to the continuity of the process, the dishes inside do not burn, are cooked with minimal loss of taste, and are incredibly tender. Not surprisingly, in France, tajin-style cafes are considered one of the most popular.

Tajine is used to prepare most dishes of North African and Moroccan cuisine. The food in it is pre-fried in oil, and then left to simmer over low heat. It is also possible to cook by stewing, in this case the ingredients put inside are simply flavored with a little water. Most often, meat, poultry, fish, fruits or vegetables are used as starting products. Hard-to-digest cereals, legumes and other vegetarian foods are produced flawlessly.

Food prepared in a special vessel is also called tajin. With this method of heat treatment, the tastes of spices, dried fruits, spices and herbs are brighter. Nuts, honey, ginger go well with tagine. It is important to understand that in North Africa this cooking method is not everyday - the length of the heat treatment makes it inconvenient for constant use.

But on holidays or when preparing dishes for future use, it is absolutely irreplaceable. Tajine allows you to master food making using complex, multi-ingredient recipes - due to the fusion of tastes and aromas, the result is always exactly the way it is needed.

Traditional tagine is completely ceramic vessel... In Morocco, it is used not only for cooking, but also for serving them. Accordingly, it is customary to choose beautiful, original vessels with a national flavor. But other options are also possible.

Classic clay tagine is the best choice for preparing Moroccan cuisine. Porous baked but not glazed clay cookware has the ability to influence the degree of moisture in the food by absorbing and releasing moisture in a natural way... The finished product is very rich in juices. But good results can be obtained only if the vessel itself has been previously soaked in water for several hours.

Clay tagines have one, but a very significant drawback - they absorb odors. If the dishes are used to create different dishes, they will have to be soaked for a long time or separate containers for meat, fish, cereals and sweet food should be made. In addition, the hygiene of the clay tagine is also minimal.

Fired glazed versions of cookware are devoid of this defect, they are easy to wash, eliminating unpleasant odors. But the effect of natural moisture regulation is reduced.

A special type of clay with impurities of mineral origin is also used in the manufacture of modern Moroccan tableware. Ceramic tagine is coated with glaze, baked, acquiring a durable glossy surface. Cookware of this type is usually non-stick and is suitable for direct installation on an electric stove.

But on a gas burner, you will have to use a divider, which gives a more uniform heating.On induction surfaces, an adapter is used - a metal circle according to the size of the burner contour.

Like clay containers, ceramic dishes are different:

• aesthetic appearance;
• environmental safety;
• long-term preservation of the set temperature;
• optimal conditions for stewing and simmering.

Clay and ceramic containers are not suitable for open flames, they can break or crack, and are not suitable for frying. Otherwise, they are almost flawless and allow you to preserve the authentic technology of preparing North African cuisine.

If you have only a gas stove, you can not refuse to use the original Moroccan type cookware. Cast iron tagine has excellent heat capacity, not inferior to ceramics. In it, you can pre-fry meat or fish, caramelize vegetables and fruits. The lower part of the cast iron tagine is suitable for baking dishes in the oven.

The convenience of a cast iron tagine is undeniable - it is convenient for cooking on the grill or in the oven, on any kind of stove, it can be used as a traveling version of the utensils. An adapter is not required for an induction hob: cast iron is ferromagnetic. Both all-metal versions of the products are produced, as well as combined ones, with a clay lightweight lid.

Despite the status of a non-ferrous metal, die-cast aluminum is quite suitable for making a tagine base. The top in such models is made of ceramic, lightweight, preventing weighting of the structure. The coating inside the bowl can be made of ceramic, stone, titanium for slower and more correct heating.

European manufacturers have recently begun to produce unusual stainless steel tags. Such dishes are complemented by an insert for steaming food. You can even lay the ingredients on multiple levels according to the desired temperature and cooking time. In a metal bowl, it is convenient not only to stew, but also to fry and bake.

Ferromagnetic properties allow, when using induction hobs, to put steel tagine directly on the burner circuit. So that the heat inside the container is distributed correctly and evenly, the bottom is made in the form of a multilayer structure with an additional aluminum plate inside the stainless steel layers. But experienced chefs do not recommend replacing ceramic and cast-iron tagines with steel ones: heat is lost faster, which is why the cooking technology is violated.

The main producers of correct tagines are companies from Morocco and France.

• Emile Henry brand produces high quality ceramic tagines. The products are distinguished by their aesthetics (their heat-resistant walls are covered with multi-colored glaze), they are practical to clean. The dishes are adapted for use with all types of stoves, ovens.

• Staub Is a French company that produces excellent combination-type tagines. The heavy cast iron base has an enamelled ceramic non-stick coating. The dome is ceramic, lighter. Cookware is suitable for direct heating on all types of stoves.

• Le Creuset - a French company producing thick-walled cast-iron dishes of the Moroccan type. The ceramic dome allows you to achieve the effect of traditional simmering, like in an earthen pot. You can cook with such utensils on any type of stove. Aesthetic tagine can be served to the table without fear that the dish will cool down.

• "Borisov ceramics" - products of a Russian manufacturer. Moroccan cooking vessels from this brand are distinguished by affordable prices, a wide range of sizes. Products with a dome lid are designed for baking in a microwave oven or oven. Direct heating is completely eliminated.

• Vetta. The company produces stainless steel tags with a steamer function. The dishes are lightweight, versatile and easy to clean. But this is more a saucepan than an authentic Moroccan vessel.

When choosing tagine for Moroccan-style cooking, you should pay attention to the following points:

• sizes and diameter: portioned options are convenient for a restaurant, large braziers - for home;
• stove type: metal options are required for induction and gas;
• heating method: put only dishes of the appropriate height in the oven;
• type of heat treatment: it is impossible to fry food in earthenware before stewing.

Ceramic, earthenware containers and caps should be carefully checked for cracks and chips. It is worth considering the manufacturer's recommendations for specific dishes. They affect the permissible heating temperature, determine the rules for caring for tagine.

Tazhin is not recommended to be used in the oven - the clay part will simply crack, but there are special series designed specifically for this method of culinary processing. Cooking on a gas stove using such utensils is possible, but not very desirable, since it is difficult to control the heating.

An open hearth with embers glowing is ideal. You can also get the required heating intensity on an electric stove; induction or classic with cast-iron, slowly cooling burners is suitable.

Insofar as food in tagine is cooked for a long time, exists certain rules for laying products inside the container... Lamb is placed in it for 10-12 hours. For beef, half this time will be sufficient, even if the meat is old and tough. For the full readiness of fish and chicken dishes in tagine, 60 minutes are enough.

For information on why you need tagine and how to use it correctly, see the next video.