Moroccan Tagine Cooking

[Smithy]

  3.  Unglazed Moroccan  tagines, Turkish comleks, and Egyptian briams are all treated to an oil rub and a slow bake in the oven before first time use.Adding molasses, ash or honey is, in my opinion, cosmetic.

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It's a funny thing. Until this year I've been told in Egypt, both at the pottery stand and at my friend's house, to rub my various pots with molasses (they call it black honey) and bake before using. That's what I've done. This year I went to the same pottery stand as ever and was told to use oil. When I asked about molasses, the vendor said I could mix the two if I wished, but that it wasn't necessary.

Recently I've tried curing pots by rubbing, then baking, with oil, oil and honey, oil and molasses, oil and honey and wood ash, molasses only, and maple syrup. The darkening of the pots comes with the ash or the sugars. The oil doesn't darken the pots, and it may leave them slightly more porous, but that last may be my imagination. Once there's a coat of something caramelized, the oil certainly closes up the pores more. The oil does seem to distribute the coating materials more evenly, so my earlier pots cured strictly with molasses are more spotty than the recent pots cured with oil and X. When all's said and done, I'm not sure there's much difference in the cure. I agree with Paula that the ash/sugar/whatever seems to be mostly cosmetic.

I have photos if anyone's interested, but it may take a few days. Camera and computer don't seem to be talking the same language right now.

[Anna N]

I can see why it would only be somewhat helpful.  I'll add some questions for you to answer.  First: how much bigger than your burner is your clay baker?  If it's a small baker - the same size as the burner - then you might be able to use it over low heat.  However, if its sides are tall relative to the base, then they might not warm up fast enough to prevent cracking.  If the baker is oblong and parts of it would overhang the burner, that could also cause uneven heating with consequent cracking.  Second: I don't recall reading a temperature restriction on the rifi tagine in the oven, although I know the cone isn't supposed to go into the oven.  Are you sure the pot part of the tagine can't go into the oven at high temperatures?  I think I've done that with mine.

Finally, I should note that not all clays are the same - even if they're unglazed.  My Egyptian clay pots are much more porous than, say, a terra cotta planter.  Somewhere in one of these clay pot threads Paula Wolfert reported that the pottery cure of coating a pot with molasses and cooking it didn't work on terra cotta planters because their pores were too fine.  However, the molasses coat is the only curing method I heard (until recently) for Egyptian clay cooking pots.  In other words, different clays will have different heat conduction and expansion behaviors.  Sorry if the Corning Ware seemed extraneous.

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Thanks for continuing to try to penetrate my foggy brain! First, I want to make clear that I have no intention of trying to use a clay baker for a tagine - I am only interested in the physics of it all!

The 350F limit for oven temp for the tagines I believe I got from the site that Paula recommends.

Neither of my two clay bakers would fit comfortably on my elements - both the deep one and the very shallow one would have considerable overhang so I can "buy" that the shape of the vessel is important.

Then, the differing compositions of the clay makes sense. I had (wrongly) assumed that unglazed clay was all the same.

So now with these two factors I think I get it. Again, thanks for your patience.

[fou de Bassan]

I've been using my rifian clay pot for just over a year now and still love it. We've recently moved to a much drier climate and over the past 6 months the conical lid has developed what looks like crazing. This is an unglazed pot so I was wondering if something is wrong. Since the first curing I haven't done anything but cook in it. The base of the pot is lovely, the top looks kind of flaky though. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Kathryn

[Smithy]

I've been using my rifian clay pot for just over a year now and still love it.  We've recently moved to a much drier climate and over the past 6 months the conical lid has developed what looks like crazing.  This is an unglazed pot so I was wondering if something is wrong.  Since the first curing I haven't done anything but cook in it.    The base of the pot is lovely, the top looks kind of flaky though.  Anyone have any ideas?    Thanks in advance.

Kathryn

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When I first got my Rifi tagine I noticed very fine cracks in the surface. I wrote and asked whether it was defective, and was told that they're surface cracks and not a factor in the pot strength. I've almost quit noticing them now - I had to look hard to find them in the first place - but I can imagine that in a drier climate they might start to grow. I'd suggest oiling the cone and baking it again as you did in the first place. The oil and ash treatment described above might help fill in the cracks and seal the surface, too. Finally, rather than take the suggestion of someone who might now know what she's talking about (!) tou might should contact tagines.com and ask what they'd suggest. Photos would help if you have a digital camera.

[silentmeow]

I love this topic. I was just wondering if anyone was having trouble with the tagines.com web site. I've been trying to track my order and can't get to the web site. I have also tried to access it through Paula's web site to no avail. This has been going on for two weeks now and I want my tagine, or at least to know if it has been shipped! Thanks for your input.

[Wolfert]

I've been using my rifian clay pot for just over a year now and still love it. We've recently moved to a much drier climate and over the past 6 months the conical lid has developed what looks like crazing. This is an unglazed pot so I was wondering if something is wrong. Since the first curing I haven't done anything but cook in it. The base of the pot is lovely, the top looks kind of flaky though. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Samy from tagines.com told me to keep my unglazed tagines oiled, and that is what I do every six months or so.

I haven't done what Smithy suggests and bake it again, but it sounds like a good idea.

Edited March 31, 2006 by Wolfert (log)

[andiesenji]

I love this topic.  I was just wondering if anyone was having trouble with the tagines.com web site.  I've been trying to track my order and can't get to the web site.  I have also tried to access it through Paula's web site to no avail.  This has been going on for two weeks now and I want my tagine, or at least to know if it has been shipped!  Thanks for your input.

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I just went to Tagines.com and it opened right up.

[peanutgirl]

I love this topic.  I was just wondering if anyone was having trouble with the tagines.com web site.  I've been trying to track my order and can't get to the web site.  I have also tried to access it through Paula's web site to no avail.  This has been going on for two weeks now and I want my tagine, or at least to know if it has been shipped!  Thanks for your input.

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It worked for me. I was able to place my order just fine .

Any luck silentmeow?

[fou de Bassan]

Thanks again, guys. I will oil it and rebake tomorrow.

Kathryn

[silentmeow]

Still can't open the page. I keep getting that alert that says the site cannot be found. Guess it's time for my son to come home for a visit and check out my computer!

[Blondelle]

Paula, this is a bit off topic but I'm really curious about your thoughts on the Le Creuset tagine. A NY Times article recently said it produced watered down results. Has that been your experience? I'm also curious whether you feel a tagine should have an opening in the dome to allow some of the steam to escape. That might be the cause of the watery Le Creuset results, as the walls are glazed and don't absorb liquid, and the seal is tight so little steam escapes. Have you also had a chance to try the Emile Henrey one? Thanks much!

[Wolfert]

Of all the tagines on the market, the one I like least is Le Creuset. I think the bowl is too small for most recipes. And I detest the red color!

If you want stoneware, there are three other choices:

French Tefal's stoneware- tagine-crockpot works fine if you use less liquid.

[

Emile Henry's Dijon colored tagine has a wider bowl and works like a dream.

Claycoyote.com potters are working on a semi-stoneware tagine with better thermal shock properties. Stay tuned.

I'm also curious whether you feel a tagine should have an opening in the dome to allow some of the steam to escape.

I don't think the hole is necessary. Most of my terracotta tagines (glazed and unglazed) are without holes and work perfectly.

My favorite tagines are unglazed and made from clay rich in mica. Check out the Soussi tagine or the Riffi tagines at www.tagines.com. They are strong, need very little liquid, and look great.

Edited April 3, 2006 by Wolfert (log)

[Blondelle]

Thanks Paula! My new unopened Le Creuset tagine is now up on Ebay. Going to buy the Emile Henry one, but in the brick red ;-). I've been looking at tagine recipes at the Emile Henry site and all say to stir regularly, and add liquid as needed. I had thought you didn't need to do that with a tagine. I thought, to borrow a phrase from Ron Popiel, that it was basically set it and forget it...LOL! If you don't want to go through the trouble of making preserved lemons or finding them, would fresh lemon peel also work? Anyone know the ratio to substitute that if you can?

Of all the tagines on the market, the one I like least is Le Creuset. I think the bowl is too small for most recipes. And I detest the red color!

If you want stoneware, there are three other choices:

French Tefal's stoneware- tagine-crockpot works fine if you use less liquid.

[

Emile Henry's Dijon colored tagine has a wider bowl and works like a dream.

Claycoyote.com potters are working on a semi-stoneware tagine with better thermal shock properties. Stay tuned.

I'm also curious whether you feel a tagine should have an opening in the dome to allow some of the steam to escape.

I don't think the hole is necessary. Most of my terracotta tagines (glazed and unglazed) are without holes and work perfectly.

My favorite tagines are unglazed and made from clay rich in mica. Check out the Soussi tagine or the Riffi tagines at www.tagines.com. They are strong, need very little liquid, and look great.

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[andiesenji]

I came across the Laughing Goat Pottery that makes stovetop

and

ovenware. that looks very nice.

I have inquired about the size of a couple of items by email and will place an order when I get a reply.

I also just ordered one of these which is quite different from other tagines I have seen.

I will post photos when I receive it.

Edited April 4, 2006 by andiesenji (log)

[Wolfert]

I've been looking at tagine recipes at the Emile Henry site and all say to stir regularly, and add liquid as needed. I had thought you didn't need to do that with a tagine.

The Emile Henry tagine can take high heat which might encourage the cook to cook faster and burn food..

On the other hand, lots of tagines need a little nuturing.

If you don't want to go through the trouble of making preserved lemons or finding them, would fresh lemon peel also work? Anyone know the ratio to substitute that if you can?

Preserved lemons have a special flavor that comes from brining in salt over time. Meyer lemons are still in the market place and I urge you to make some now.

You can purchase them at specialty food stores i If you don't have the time to wait, do the Five-Day method described in my Moroccan cookbook: Use a razor blade to make 8 fine 2-inch vertical incisions around the peel of each lemon to be made. (Do not cut deeper than the membrane that protects the pulp.) Place the incised lemons in a non-reactive saucepan with plenty of salt and water to cover and simmer until the peels become very soft. Place in a clean jar, cover with cooled cooking liquor, and leave to pickle for about 5 days.

Use them up at once because they quickly rot.

I came across the Laughing Goat Pottery that makes stovetop

and ovenware. that looks very nice.

I love the fondue pot. It could be used for panades, gratins and bagna cauda. Thanks for the tip.

[Smithy]

That Laughing Goat Pottery is beautiful. I absolutely, positively, must not go back to that web site. My kitchen cupboards and budget won't stand it.

I know there are more threads around here somewhere about curing clay pottery, but this one is up and I'm tired of trying to find the others. If some moderator wants to move my post to a more appropriate thread, or split it to a new one, feel free.

I recently experimented with different cures of small Egyptian clay pots. This shape is called a tagine in Egypt (pronounced "DA-gin", with the first letter being such a hard t that it's almost a d) although it's quite different than the Moroccan tagine. In past years I've been told to rub this pottery with molasses (they call it 'black honey') and cook in an oven until cured, and that's what I've done. This year one vendor told me to use oil. "Oil?" I asked, "not molasses?" "You can use oil and molasses, if you want, or you can just use oil," was the reply. The purpose of the cure is to strengthen the pot and get it ready for cooking. My observation is that it also fixes the paint - which appears to be a basic mix of some reddish pigment and water. (Iron oxide? More clay? One and the same? I don't know.) Until the pot is cured the paint leaves reddish marks on hands, cloth, whatever. The paint is strictly cosmetic, to give the pots more of a reddish color; they're more of a muddy brown without it. I couldn't find any of the size and shape I wanted without the paint.

I cooked all pots at around 300F for at least an hour - maybe it was 350 or 325 - it didn't seem to make much difference. One vendor said to cook in a hot oven for 20 minutes; another said to cook in a medium oven for an hour; my friends of the molasses cure used the medium oven for at least an hour trick. It seems to me that the coating itself lets you know when it's done.

Here's a photo of some untreated tagines, as they came from the vendor in Luxor.

The first test was to compare oil vs. molasses. I rubbed the left-hand tagine with molasses and oil and the right-hand one with oil. The paper towel in front of the right-hand pot shows what I mean about the paint rubbing off; that's the towel I used to coat the tagine with oil. Both tagines were coated thoroughly before baking. The molasses and oil have such a different density and viscosity that I had trouble getting them to mix. By the way, they just say "cooking oil", and it's not olive oil. I used canola oil.

This is what they looked like afterward. (I can't figure out how to flip that image left-to-right. Sorry.) The oil-treated tagine didn't change color (perhaps that's the advantage of that treatment) and the oil didn't bead up in the pot the way the molasses did. The molasses coat dries hard and beads up on the pot surface when it's finished. There's a fair amount of cleaning to be done afterward to keep it from rubbing black gunk off on everything it touches. By the way, that's also been true of the molasses-only cures I've done before.

The next 3 pots got different treatments: oil, wood ash and honey as suggested by Paula Wolfert; oil and honey per another PW suggestion, and maple syrup because that happens to be the readiest source of syrupy sugary stuff I have around here, and I wanted to see what happened. It was not cut with oil.

I had quite a time getting the ash to mix in with the oil and honey, and couldn't really figure out what purpose the oil served, because it didn't mix well with the rest. (I think it's the same problem noted above of having wildly different density and viscosity of the mixing fluids.)

The oil and honey together mixed better than with the ash, and better than oil and molasses had.

Before firing: oil/ash/honey back left; oil/honey back right; straight maple syrup in front. Note the distinctly grey color to the ash-coated tagine.

After firing, here's what they looked like:

The beading up of the coating shows up more clearly inside the pots:

The maple syrup-coated pot had the hardest glaze of them all, and seemed slightly tacky before I cleaned it up. I washed all of them to get the loose stuff off, and oiled them and cooked them some more. As Paula notes above, the oil gives them more of a sheen.

When all is said and done, here's what I have for this size tagine:

Back row, left to right: Ash/honey/oil; maple syrup; honey/oil

Front row, left to right: Newly treated molasses/oil; well-used molasses-only warhorse; oil-only

The maple syrup-glazed pot still has the hardest glaze. I can't see that the ash made much difference, comparing the oil/ash/honey to the oil/honey. I think the caramelization of the sugar must provide more of the coloring than the ash, at least for these pots. The oil may help the coating flow more if you can get a good mix, but the oil/molasses coat is pretty spotty. The oil-only pot still looks the most porous, but it's stopped rubbing off on my hands and I'm sure it's good to go.

Whether this will make any difference in actual cooking remains to be seen. I suspect it won't. I wondered whether the maple syrup would give a different flavor, but after the pots have sat a while they all seem to smell about the same.

[andiesenji]

Very nice instructional photos, Nancy. You put a lot of time and work into this and it shows.

Thanks so much.

I have always used just oil or milk but think I will try the molasses or honey on one, just to see what happens.

curing tagines and claypots

another thread on the subject

and another

Edited April 5, 2006 by andiesenji (log)

[Smithy]

Thanks so much for those links, Andie. The first thread is really where I should have put my post. You're a more efficient searcher than I am.

Does milk change the color of the pottery? Do you have a feel for when milk might be more appropriate? For instance, the black chamba recommends milk. I haven't heard it suggested in the context of Egyptian or Moroccan clay. I wonder if it's due to the different nature of the clay, or some cultural influence.

[andiesenji]

Thanks so much for those links, Andie.  The first thread is really where I should have put my post.  You're a more efficient searcher than I am.

Does milk change the color of the pottery?  Do you have a feel for when milk might be more appropriate?  For instance, the black chamba recommends milk.  I haven't heard it suggested in the context of Egyptian or Moroccan clay.  I wonder if it's due to the different nature of the clay, or some cultural influence.

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Milk makes it glossy, almost shiny.

I can't remember when or where I first heard of using milk, it may have been when I first began buying ollas made for cooking in Mexico 40-some years ago. The curing of the unglazed ollas and calezuelas used for cooking, varies considerably from region to region. I bought my first few in Oaxaca, I can't remember the name of the village. It is interesting that these pieces also contain a lot of silica or mica, much like some of the Moroccan pieces.

(Note - I didn't buy any of the glazed pottery because I knew it contained lead - the glazed stuff is a green color, not the tan/red of the unglazed.)

Anyway, I don't speak much Spanish but one of the women took me to a nearby house where other women were cooking under a thatched roof at the side of the house, over open gas grates. One showed me the way to make the pot waterproof (much demonstrative hand waving and splashing of water and no-nos got this message across) was to put in a liquid that I thought was milk, but it had what looked like bits of butter floating in it. (I didn't taste it). She ladeled this stuff into the pot and put in on a low flame and using her fingers, counted up to 8, indicating slowly increasing the heat under the pot.

So when I got home with my stuff, I tried it with a mixture of whole milk and buttermilk and it worked just fine. I did the comal the same way but it was a bit trickier since it was very shallow.

After cooking it for the 8 hours, I gave it a bit more time, just to be on the safe side, then allowed it to cool completely. I used the same milk for the other pots.

I let them drain, upside down, then did a test by filling them part way with water and bringing it to a boil, poured off some, then allowed the water to cool in the pot then poured it off and let it cool. The "seal" on the inside seemed to be intact.

I assume that is is the casein in the milk that forms the seal, just as it does in the old-fashioned milk paint used on furniture - some of that stuff has lasted 200 years so casein has some lasting qualities.

I don't think there is any one particular "best" method. I think that each culture uses what they have available in abundance. In Oaxaca I saw women milking donkeys as well as goats and cows. I know they make cheese there but it may be that they have enough extra milk that it is economical to use it this way. It has been many years since I was down there and things may well have changed by now. Rancho Gordo may know more about this.

Edited April 5, 2006 by andiesenji (log)

[Wolfert]

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.

Edited April 5, 2006 by Wolfert (log)

[andiesenji]

This is slightly OT, - - In the pottery villages in Oaxaca, they made big unglazed ollas for storing water, usually with a screen over the top to catch run-off from the roof. These would allow water to soak through to the outside and evaporate and cool the water inside. They didn't have refrigeration as we know it but would have smaller ollas, such as the one that held the milk, sitting in water in a larger, wider pot, for the same reason. They made ollas with inner "shelves" or flat "ears" just above the water line on which they put a wood grate that held cheeses. It reminded me of the cistern in the cellar of my grandfather's house that had the same system of keeping stuff cool in the days before refrigeration. (that house was built in 1830)

I always wondered how the other tourists could think these people were ignorant or dumb, when they had adapted this scientific principal for a very practical purpose. I thought they were amazing.

[andiesenji]

Andie,

I'd like to add one more use for milk and its power with  unglazed mica-rich clay pots: It seals cracked pots. 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 crck welds itself together, and the dish is as strong as new.

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Thanks, Paula, I think you mentioned that in an earlier post but I had forgotten it.

Do they use camel's milk in Morocco? I would assume so, however one of my friends, who lived in Egypt for several years in the 40s, used to buy milk from donkeys, for her cats and puppies.

[Wolfert]

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.

Edited April 5, 2006 by Wolfert (log)

[andiesenji]

My next-door neighbor's daughter is here, and told me that people in Mexico, around Durango, where her parents are from, believe that cooking bull's blood in the glazed pots will "cure" them so the lead will not be harmful. Tia says her mom and dad do not believe this and won't use any glazed pots made in Mexico, but the unglazed ones do not contain lead so are safe to use. Her mom uses milk and lard to cure the calazuelas. She has a couple of the deeper ollas but doesn't use them since she got a big Calphalon stockpot. Tia says her mom took to "modern" appliances and cookware and especially the crockpot, like a duck to water.

She brought me a jar of cajeta her mom just finished this morning. I have the flu and they are kindly making sure I am okay since my housekeeper is away for a few days. Great neighbors are a true blessing.

[peanutgirl]

Smithy a very informative pictorial... <note to myself... do not order any more clay cooking vessels!!!>

Andie, I love your experience and annecdotes.... always welcome.

As for myself...

I'm making Treda right now from Kitty Morse's Cooking at The Casbah. It smells so good ( and picking at the chicken, it does taste good too )!. I plan on keeping it overnight and reheating tomorrow because I really want to make some bread to serve.

That's the plan anyway... as I'm typing I am eating a small portion. I hope it survives .