What You Need to Know
The clay pot allows for slow cooking, breaking down connective tissues in meat, and resulting in tender and flavorful dishes. The conical lid enables even heat distribution and traps moisture. However, the slow cooking process can result in a loss of nutrients if the cooking time is too long or the heat is too high.
Steps
- 1.
Tagine Djej (Morocco): Slow cooking preserves chicken tenderness while infusing spice flavors
- 2.
Mqualli (Algeria): Allows saffron and ginger to fully permeate the lamb
- 3.
Tagine Kefta (Tunisia): Steam-cooks meatballs evenly while concentrating tomato sauce
The Science
Primary Reaction
Maillard reaction and gelatinization