So Many Dishes

I feel fortunate to be able to cook Moroccan food in an authentic clay tagine. I have one with a metal base, which means that I can cook at higher temperatures than I can use with the clay pot, but I almost always opt for my beautiful clay tagine.

When Ben and Annie gave me the tagine, about 15 years ago, it took two full days to complete the seasoning process. The instructions also said that, if the pot isn’t used regularly, it has to be reseasoned. That’s great incentive to cook Moroccan cuisine.

In Morocco, meatballs are known as kefta, and they are wonderful when cooked in a tagine. They can be made with either ground lamb or beef. Unlike meatballs in other cuisines, kefta don’t include a binder. There’s no egg, no bread crumbs, usually just meat and seasonings. Kefta (or the regional variant, kofta) actually means “pounded meat.” When I learned to make meatballs, my mother always said not to overwork the meat. In contrast, the recipe directions for the kefta I made Friday says “using your hands, mix the ingredients together and knead well, pounding the mixture for a few minutes.” The texture is definitely different from what I expect from a meatball.

Another difference is that the kefta are poached. The sauce is put together first, then the kefta are poached in the liquid. It’s actually an easy dish to put together. I mixed the meat and seasonings early in the afternoon and formed the meatballs, then put them in the fridge until I was ready to cook them.

The sauce is also simple, but, cooking over low heat in the tagine, takes time. And I need to point out that you don’t need a tagine to make this dish. The recipe specifies cooking in a tagine or heavy-based casserole dish.

I make two changes to the recipe, which is from Tagines & Couscous by Ghillie Basan. Instead using a mix of cilantro and mint, I use all cilantro. Research shows that mint may exacerbate gastric reflux, so we try to avoid it. And, while I’m on Team Cilantro, if you’re not, I’m sure you could make this with mint alone. My other change is to use a red bell pepper instead of a red chili. We prefer to add heat by adding harissa as a condiment, so we each get our preferred level of heat.

Spicy Kefta Tagine with Lemon

For the kefta:

• 1 pound ground beef or lamb
• 1/4 cup finely chopped or grated onion
• Leaves from a small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon each olive oil and butter
• 1/2 cup onion, coarsely chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, halved and crushed
• A thumb-size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 red chili, thinly sliced (or 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips)
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• Leaves from a small bunch of cilantro, chopped
• Leaves from a small bunch of mint, chopped
• Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

To make the kefta, combine all kefta ingredients in a bowl. Using your hands, mix the ingredients together and knead well, pounding the mixture for a few minutes. Take pieces of the mixture and shape them into little walnut-size balls, so that you end up with about 16 kefta.

Heat the oil and butter in a tagine or heavy-based casserole dish. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, and chili or bell pepper, and sauté until softened. Add the turmeric and half the mint and cilantro. Pour in 1 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Carefully place the kefta in the liquid, cover, and poach for 15 minutes. Pour in the lemon juice, season with salt, and tuck the lemon segments around the kefta. Cover and poach for an additional 15 minutes.

Serve with the remaining cilantro/mint. Makes 4 servings. Traditionally served with couscous.

As we usually do, we cooked pearl couscous rather than the traditional fine-grain couscous. I made the salad we call Greek chopped salad, my copy of the chopped side salad served at a local gyro shop we used to frequent. It’s simply lettuce, tomato, red onion, kalamatas and feta, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. It was a perfect side. It’s yet another recipe that I need to make more often, and reminder to use my tagine more often.

Happy eating!