FlyingChopstik

You can mix the couscous with some buttermilk and a little sugar. Its called saycouk.

That happens to me too. The only time it doesn't is when I use the diffuser but then using a diffuser requires more time. To scrape off the char without damaging the tagine get a plastic pan scraper. They are really good and won't scratch. I usually pour some warm water in the tagine and let it soak for a while before using the scraper. If the burnt bits are extra difficult to remove, I'll put a bit of baking soda in the water and leave for like an hour. Then after scraping, use 1 of those scrubbed designed for nonstick pans to clean it. This works for me wverytime.

I agree. Just keep separate tagine for fish. You can cook lamb, goat, chicken, beef in the same tagine.

Hassouni When cooking chicken it is not always whole.Moroccans cook chicken either way, whole or in pieces. As for the water, when cooking chickwn, you dont need a lot of water at all for reasons that you experienced. The chicken will release some juice and fat. I use very little water when cooking chicken in tagine. In the future, i def wouldnt use a half cup. Try a little under 1/4 cup.

The simmer mat is awesome! Just give yourself additional time as it can take longer for the dish to cook on a flame tamer/diffuser.

SLB it sounds like you made the right choice! I brought a tagine like yours back from Morocco but once I read about the lead found in them I got rid of it. Ive been very satisfied witg my unglazed souss and tagra.

Hey Slb! I love that bean pot. I cook beans in it all the time and I even cooked tangia in it, a Moroccan dish of meat, spices and preserved lemon cooked in the oven on low heat for 7 hrs.

From about.com i also tried these recipes and they were delicious as well --lamb with preserve lemon and olives --lamb with quince --lamb b with zucchinni potatoes and peas

I ask the butcher to cut the shanks when i purchase them. I always transfer leftovers into tubbaware and reheat on the stove in a double boiler. I wouldnt put the tagine in the fridge nor reheat leftovers in it because it would take too long and you could risk cracking it because of the rapid temperature change unless you let it sit at room temp for a while. But i dont have an hr to wait for leftovers to reheat. On about.com, these recipes turned out great though most of the time I end up creating my own version or blending hers and Wolferts recipes together. --chicken with preserved lemon and olives --chicken with apricots --lamb with prunes ---rfissa --loubia --black eyed peas Also check out the other sites i told you about: cuisine moracaine by mamat kamal and sousous kitchen on youtube. The dishes of those ladies especially sousouskitchen tastes like im back in Morocco and you can watch how she prepares everything.

Dude, good job on your 1st tagine attempt. It looks yummy. i know how you feel. ive cooked this same recipe from about.com and had similar results with the eggplant. Heres my thoughts: I think those shanks are huge. Next time cut them into large chunks and that should take care of the tenderness and shorten the cooking tme. I always cut shanks into 3 large chunks and they are falling off the bone within 2 hours. For the oil, it varies. I necer use a 1/3 cup for shanks. Usually i just drizzle some on the bottom which amounts to a little unfer a 1/4 cup. You can cover meat with onions or layer them on the bottom...whatever you wish. Ive done both. As for the eggplant (and veggies in general) -- in my many experiences of cooking with tagines, you dont have to turn the veggies as the steam from condensation will cook them as long as you have enough water. BUT for this recipe, this was the only time that this wasnt the case. The eggplant that cooked in the juices cooked fine but the top layer, like yours was undercooked. In the future, if you choose to do this recipe again, i would make sure that eggplant is either rotate them in the sauce every so often so they are covered with juice or layered on the bottom, or you can cut them into smaller chunks. What you can do at the moment is remove lamb and cook eggplant in the leftover juices for 45 min. When i made this dish the eggplant tasted better the next day.

Thats exactly right Smithy. Paula wrote somewhere on this site about the milk and how it strengthens the tagine. I used a mixture of milk and water to stretch the milk a bit. I also seasoned my friends' tagines this way.

In the bottom portion of the tagine, not the oven.

Oh forgot to mention i baked at 350 degrees and then after 30 min of baking, turn oven off and let it sit in the oven until it completely cooled down

I let the tagine dry before oiling and baking it. So with my tagine, i let it dry after soaking, rubbed it inside and out with olive oil and put a little milk in it. 1 parts milk to 3 parts water and fill tagine bottom about 3/4th full.Then i put it in a cold oven and baked it for 30 min. Wash (dont use soap) and allow dry. Rub doen inside 1 more time with olive oil. Allow it to soak it up and then use, store.

Also have you been shaking them regularly and pushing down any lemons that rise above the brine? How much salt did you use?