Wolfert

Judith, There are a few popular ways to cure a tagine Slaoui. My method is to soak the bottom dish and the top in water for a few hours. Drain and wipe dry. Rub the unglazed side of the bottom with a cut clove of garlic. Fill the dish with milk or water to one-half inch below the rim. Place the dish on a flame tamer over low heat and slowly bring the liquid to a boil. Let the liquid boil down until only about one half cup remains. Cool slowly, drain and wash. Drain dry. BTW: You don't need to cure the top. Photo of a traditional tagine slaoui: http://www.tagines.com/pd_beldi.cfm

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...948&hl=algerian Check out this forum as a starter. You'll find lots of valuable and informative posts by chef zadi.

It is the sort of dish that just gets better when made a day in advance.

Judith, Thanks for catching that error!

Small Semolina Griddle Breads called h'archa Makes twelve 5-inch rounds 2 scant cups (14 ounces) pasta flour l cup (6 ounces) coarse semolina 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and foam skimmed off 4 teaspoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 small onion, halved In a mixing bowl, combine the pasta flour and semolina. Add the stick of cooled butter and rub the mixture together with your hands until sandy. Mix in the sugar and salt. Mix 1/2 cup of warm water into the dough; it should be crumbly. Let stand a few minutes, then gradually add more water until you have a soft dough, about 1 cup in all. Transfer to a food processor and pulse 30 seconds to blend. The texture should now be very soft and moist. Turn the dough out onto an unfloured work surface. Using lightly buttered hands, knead it until silky, 1 to 2 minutes. cover the dough and let rest for at least 30 minutes. Preheat a cast-iron grill, a comal or a ridged pan over medium heat. Preheat the oven to 250 F. Lightly grease the cut side of the onion with melted butter and quickly rub the heated pan. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. On a buttered or oiled baking sheet, press out one portion of dough into a 5-inch round. Cover loosely with plastic and repeat to form the remaining flatbreads. Cook the breads, one at a time, until they are golden and speckled with black spots, turning once; it should take 4 minutes total. Serve the breads hot off the pan, or wrap in foil and keep warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. If this is not the bread you found in Fez, try the recipe for mtsimen on page 128 in the Couscous book.

I haven't a clue why the recipe produced a swollen wwavy-edged clafoutis. Actually, I find it very attractive. Here is how it looks after the fall when I prepare it with whole wheat flour.

I'll post some recipes for street flatbreads tomorrow. I'm still en route to Sonoma and don't have my books with me.

Yes.

Here is one way you might try for dealing with a cracked pot. I've tried it and it works! "sumberge the dish in milk in a wide pan, bring slowly to a boil, and simmer for l hour. The crack welds itself together, and the dish is as strong as new."

Samy of tagines.com told me he was completely sold out due to the NY Times piece by Florence Fabricant earlier this year. Ah, the power of the press! Majkeli: have you spoken to anyone about the damaged tagine? There is a phone number on the site. About the brazier: You don't need to cure it.

Hathor, Good question. You'll find detailed instructions for curing the Moroccan unglazed tagines upthread. The final rubbing with oil will fill the pores and any hairline cracks.

I just got off the phone with Tagines.com. The NY Times piece on tagines caused a tidal wave of purchases. A new shipment is in port and customs is expected to pass on it this week. If all goes well the tagines will be shipped out next week. Is it a natural crack in the clay? If so, that can be sealed by curing and keeping the crack oiled. If it is broken, they will replace it for you.

I think you have a very tasty Muscovy duck. There are lots of recipes and notes in the book for handling that breed. The foamy fat is good for simple sauteeing. It is fragile and its shelf life is short..

Check out the Montana or Mideast brands of frozen fresh favas: www.intlgourmet.com In season, the owner of this site sells shucked fresh favas. And, we are in season so go for it!

I have seen cooks sprinkle stale sponge cake crumbs on the pastry before adding the fruit, but this was only when the cake was prepared early in the day. When I teach the dish I assemble the tourtiere on a cornmeal strewn pizza peel, then I slip the tourtiere directly onto a hot baking stone and bake it at 400 F for 12 minutes, then I reduce the oven temp to 350 F and bake it for 20 to 25 minutes longer, or until the croustade is golden and crisp. It's a good idea to slide the tourtiere onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving. ***If you have a hearthkit or a baker's oven, this is absolutely fail-proof.

This is how I learned to do the Arzak eggs from another Basque chef, Carlos Posada of the Madrid Restaurant Amparo,who learned it from the master. He lines a small ramekin with a 10-inch sheet of plastic wrap, then drops in a bit of truffle oil or duck fat and some salt and pepper. He cracks a large egg into the lined ramekin and pulls up the wrap around the egg so that the white encloses the yolk. After removing as much air as possible, he fastens it shut with a plasic tie, creating a hobo- shaped package. The egg can be refrigerated for a short while. When all the eggs are ready to be poached, he simmers them for 7 minutes, after which he drops them into ice water to firm them up. The packages can be kept for a few hours in the icy water.. When he needs to serve the dish, he reheats the egg for an instant in hot water, removes the plastic wrap, and sets the egg on whatever else is on the plate.

When it is cold, wash it well, let it dry completely before covering and storing in a cupboard. BTW I give my Riffi tagine an oiling (1/4 cup) once or twice a year. Don't forget (1) never put a hot tagine on a cold surface; (2) never pour cold liquid into a hot tagine; (3) use a flame tamer and start on low and only gradually increase the heat; and (4) with each use, it is wise to rub the tagine inside top and bottom with a clove of garlic.

The duck jelly is a wonderful substitute for demi-glace. Just be sure to reduce the salt in the rest of the dish. I recently combined yellow raisins soaked in vin de noix to make a sauce for a salty duck confit. I used a spoonful of the duck jelly diluted in a glass of water in place of duck stock and it was wonderful. See http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=66056&hl= for an egullet forum on vin de noix.

The discovery channel is going to run a telecast with Passard preparing the dish next week. http://home.discovery.com/tvlistings/episo...d=0&channel=HOM

http://home.discovery.com/fansites/greatch...r/woeggpas.html Here is the Passard recipe with more details Note that there is the addition of a little quatre epices in the cream.

I strain the fat, boil it for an instant then pack it into small clean containers to store in the refrigerator where it will keep for a few months. You can freeze the fat for longer stroage. It is great for cooking all kinds of meat, vegetables, eggs and even fish. I boil up the salty juices and save for flavoring sauces.

Use it as a finishing touch over steamed couscous, stewedl brown lentils or green beans, fruit tagines and salads. To keep it from turning, be sure to store it in the refrigerator. Smithy, Check out www.berbersources.com. They import the only argan oil to win the slowfood award. You can't do better than that!

Andie, Actually, I learned that tip from a cook in New Mexico. Though I never saw milk used as a cure for Moroccan tagines, I was told to use it to cure my partially glazed French daubiere. In France, it is thought this removes any clay flavor in the stew.

Andie, I'd like to add one more use for milk curing unglazed mica-rich clay pots: It seals any cracks! The cracked dish is submerged in milk in a wide pan. The milk is brought to the boil, and the dish is cooked for l hour. Supposedly, the crock welds itself together, and the dish is as strong as new.

I agree with you. Actually, many Turks drink it in the winter because it is considered to be incredibly healthy with lots of vitamins and minerals. I had my first glass of tart-intense salgam in the city of Gaziantep in southeast Turkey, a place where dishes can never be too sour. Grilled lamb kebabs sprinkled with sumac and accompanied by a plate of pickles.