This is the story behind my tagine.
“Hello Rob, it’s your beautiful mother!”, the voice on the phone was unmistakably familiar, one I knew well, full of anticipation for the upcoming feast and opportunity to spend some time with her son. It was mom calling about Thanksgiving, our favorite food-based holiday. Since I can remember, and in fact for many years prior, the Gérard Thanksgiving table had been richly appointed with traditional dishes such as oyster stuffing, roast turkey, and turkey gravy, all prepared from time-honored recipes written only in memory and handed down from my grandmother to her daughter. This particular day belonged to my small family, and consisted of nothing more than enjoying each other’s company while consuming obscene amounts of food (3 plates of oyster stuffing for me alone) in a warm house redolent with the comforting aromas of roasting fowl and mollusks. All of that was about to change.
After 25 years of living as a vegetarian, I’m still convinced that the transition to meatlessness is considerably more difficult for one’s family and friends than for one’s self, especially around the holidays. In fact all the major holiday meals are built around some type of deceased animal or other, and whether its lamb, turkey, duck, hot dogs, or matzo ball soup, blood has been spilled. I left the carnivorous world in stages, first read meat (adios beef tacos) then fowl (sayonara Teriyaki Chicken) and finally, kicking and screaming, seafood (au revior mussels in saffron broth). By the time I received mom’s phone call, the die had been cast, and I plunged into some very dangerous territory. She was expecting to make baked fish with lemon as she had last year, along with mounds of oyster stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce, Mom’s a good sport you see, and had been very accommodating to my gradually shifting eating patterns. “Well, I have some news for you”, I said as the pit in my stomach grew to enormous proportion. “I don’t eat fish anymore!” Silence. Dead silence. Uh oh….
“Robby, what the hell am I supposed to make?” I could tell she was a little annoyed at me, but I had made my decision and intended to stick to it. I then had a flash of genius…”I’ll cook.” I could literally hear mom’s jaw drop from70 miles away. “What exactly do you intend on making?” “Oh, I’ll figure it out, don’t worry. Everything’s under control.” Sure it was.
As I feverishly rifled through my collection of recipes written on 3×5 note cards, one thing I knew was certain; this had better be spectacular. Then suddenly, another flash of brilliance. I remembered that I had a recipe for a Moroccan dish called a tagine, a slow-cooked mélange that might consist of vegetables, dried fruit, legumes, simmered in stock and spices, versions of which I’d eaten several times at Denver’s only Moroccan restaurant, Mataam Fez. Yes, that’s it! I set about gathering all the ingredients, packed them up, and left for mom’s place. The heat was on.
From the moment the onions and garlic hit the olive oil, I knew this was going to be a success. The aroma from that alone was heavenly, and with the addition of each successive ingredient, its heavenliness increased. Into the translucent onions went a blend of thyme, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, and turmeric. Then stock, tomatoes, vegetables, beans, and olives. As the pot simmered I could sense mom becoming exponentially more hungry as the heady and exotic scents of Moroccan food filled her apartment. “Rob, that smells gooooood”, she always draws out the “oo” in good, and that was a good sign! I breathed a sigh of relief. We sat down to a 5-course North African feast (I’d prepared a lot of dishes in addition to the tagine) and ate like we always had, albeit slightly out of tradition. Mom didn’t even miss the oyster stuffing, and neither did I.
My 90 year old mother has asked for tagine, which she calls “Moroccan Stew”, for Thanksgiving every year since then, which makes 19 tagines. Over the years I’ve refined the preparation, but have held onto the original flavors. I even got a tagine, the dish you serve tagine in. You’ll see it in the photo.
Tagine
4 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Lg. Onion, Diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
¾ tsp.Ground Cinnamon
¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper
¼ tsp. Ground Ginger
½ tsp. Turmeric
1 tsp. Dried Thyme
4 C. Vegetable Stock
5 Stalks Cilantro, Tied Together with String
3 C. Peeled, Cubed Red Potatoes
1 Med. Carrot,Peeled, in Chunks
1 14 oz. Can Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes, with Juice
1 14 oz. Can Artichoke Bottoms, Quartered
1 14 oz. Can Garbanzo Beans, Drained, Rinsed
1 20 oz. Can Fava Beans, Drained, Rinsed
1 Roasted Red Bell Pepper, Skinned, Seeded, in ¼ “ Strips
½ C. Pitted Kalmata Olives, Rinsed
1 Tbs. Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
¼ C. Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley
1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions are limp and the garlic is fragrant.
2. Add all the spices and sauté for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
3. Add the stock, cilantro, potatoes, carrot, and the tomatoes with their juice. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the artichokes, beans, red pepper, and olives, and simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until thickened.
5. Add the lemon juice and mix well.
6. Garnish with the parsley and serve
Serves 6