Beef Tagine

During the Christmas break I made the most amazing Beef Tagine for clients of mine, who were celebrating their twentieth wedding anniversary.  A party of 35 people is no mean feat, considering I had to provide an intro of canapés, a main course of 3 separate dishes including salt crusted salmon, the tagine and 3 boned and stuffed chickens plus 3 accompaniments of salad, cous cous with sultanas and pine nuts and pepperonata (sautéed peppers).  Followed by desserts including meringue, chocolate mousse and Tunisian orange cake (a bit like samali).  It was a fantastic day and Sally and Adrian (the happy couple) were most impressed with my chef skills!  I have to say, it went extremely well since I had already prepared and planned a day ahead of the event so the actual day was a breeze.  Sally was amazed at my ease and calm manner that day, as I was there using her kitchen, cooking and preparing the final touches.  Of course, and I’ve said this many times before, planning is everything.  It does help to have a fabulous kitchen like Sally’s, but even if you haven’t, as long as you plan way ahead of your event and think carefully about dishes that complement each other, that you can achieve then you should have no problem.  OK, so back to the tagine, Adrian was literally licking his fingers and there was even a little left over for him to enjoy the next day which he was thoroughly looking forward to.  So, here’ the recipe for Tagine, originally from Morocco and a great dish for serving to large parties.  Serve with simple cous cous mixed with sautéed pine nuts and sultanas, sprinkled with some chopped coriander.  Afiyet olsun.

You will need:

1.2kg of stewing beef steak, cut into cubes (about shish kebab size)

About half a small box of saffron strands, infused in 2 tablespoons of boiling water

1 tsp cinnamon

1 small piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 tsp cumin

400g dried apricots

2 tbsp honey

1 bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Sea salt and black pepper to season

3 tbsp Olive oil and 20g of butter for frying

Toasted sesame seeds and blanched almonds to garnish

Preparation:

Put the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and when it sizzles and the butter foams, add the chopped onions.  Allow the onions to soften then add your chopped ginger and the spices.  Fry for about a minute then add your beef and stir well to coat the beef in the spice mixture.  Cover the meat with water and the saffron liquid, bring to the boil then lower the heat to a gentle simmer and allow to cook for about an hour.  Half way through cooking, add half the apricots and continue cooking.  Near the end of cooking, the liquid would have thickened and reduced and the meat will taste tender.  Add the rest of the apricots and half the chopped coriander and gently stir in.  Season to taste and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Garnish with the toasted sesame seeds, almonds and remaining chopped coriander.   Tip: You can make this a day in advance and then heat up when your guests arrive.  This allows the flavours to develop and intensify.

Morocco

Morocco is the most westerly part of North African Countries, also known as the Maghreb.  This is a country with both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines and a very rugged mountainous interior.  Although Marrakech and Casablanca are considered the most popular tourist spots, and well deserved at that, Rabat, the capital is becoming one of the hotspots to visit.  Set more or less in the middle of Morocco's Atlantic coastline on the left bank of the mouth of  I River, Rabat is Morocco's political and administrative capital and the official residence of the King. All ministries and embassies are located in Rabat.  You’ll find a real mix of old and new in Rabat and many have made attempts to conquer this beautiful city.  Facing the city is Sale, full of ancient colourful art and a perfect backdrop to the hustle of Rabat.  Previously rival cities, the two now work in harmony with each other.  Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco and has over 3 million residents, that’s 10% of the entire Moroccan population!  The name Casablanca is of Portuguese origin meaning, ‘White house.’  Also known as the gateway to Africa, it is Morocco’s largest port.  You may not find Rick’s café (Humphrey Bogart’s character in that infamous movie) but you will find modern landmarks and tourist attractions including the mammoth Hassan II Mosque with its immense glass floor, the Art Deco influenced New Town (Ville Nouvelle) and the Old Medina or Old Town, currently undergoing renovations.  Check out the following websites for travel and tourist information on getting to this wonderful country.

www.morocco.com

www.arab.net/morocco

www.worldtravelguide.net

www.ba.com

Facts about Morocco

• Population: The Kingdom of Morocco
• Population: 31.6 million (UN, 2005)
• Capital: Rabat
• Area: 710,850 sq km (274,461 sq miles) (including W Sahara)
• Major languages: Arabic (official), Berber, French, Spanish
• Major religion: Islam
• Life expectancy: 67 years (men), 72 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: Dirham = 100 centimes
• Main exports: Minerals, seafood products, citrus fruit
• GNI per capita: US $1,730 (World Bank, 2006)
• Internet domain: .ma
• International dialling code: +212