A Tagine on a Tuesday!.....Sweet & Spicy Pork Tagine

Tagines are the simple yet complex flavoured one pot dishes of Morocco, a country in Northern Africa. Over the centuries the foods of Morocco have been influenced by both its natives, and its invaders. The Berbers were the indigenous peoples of the region, but the country has been influenced by the Bedouin nomadic tribes of the dessert, the Arabs, the Ottomans, the Moors from Spain, Sephardic Jews and finally the French. Yet among all this dilution of their culture, the original Berbers managed to maintain their cultural origins and right proud they are of them too.

The Tagine is a classic Berber dish, it is also the name of the pot the stew is cooked or served in.

A Tagine is basically a glorified stew of either meat, fish or vegetables, but it is a stew that is aromatic and thick, filled with the scents of sweetness and spice. The meat is tender, the fish, melt in the mouth, and the vegetables more flavourful than any curry. Tagines will also have the addition of fruits such as apricots, dates, prunes, olives and preserved lemons, with lots of strong flavours such as coriander and harissa, but also the sweetness of honey.

It's not vital to use an actual Tagine to cook or serve this dish but it does add a certain authenticity and excitement when serving up to your friends! You don't have to all the way to Morocco to buy a Tagine either, but then again, what a perfect excuse for a holiday! You can buy tagine pots in many supermarkets and kitchenware suppliers.

For this tasty Pork Tagine you will need........feeds 4 people

400 g of pork loin or pork fillet
1 large white onion
2 large cloves garlic
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
150g carrot
1 tablespoon harissa paste
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
300 g peeled potatoes cut in bite size pieces
200 g cooked chickpeas (about 1 can)
500mls sieved tomatoes or 1 large can chopped tomatoes
300 mls water
1 tablespoon honey
100 g dried apricots
olive oil...not extra virgin
fresh coriander, a couple of tablespoons when chopped

You will need a large casserole pot or saucepan with a tight fitting lid in which you will cook the tagine. You can then serve up your stew in a traditional tagine if you like. It may not seem like there is a lot of pork in the recipe to feed 4 people, but we are adding chick peas so that's an additional source of protein.

How to.....

• pre-heat the oven to 160oC
• peel/clean and roughly chop the carrot, onion, and peppers
• peel the garlic
• halve and quarter the dried apricots
• trim any fat or sinew from the pork and cut into neat cubes, dry with some kitchen paper
• heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in the casserole pot
• brown the pork pieces on all sides then remove them from the pot
• add a little more oil to the pot if needed and fry off the carrot, onions and peppers for a few moments
• turn the heat down low and add the harissa paste and smoked paprika, stir well, the frying of the spices really enhances the aromas
• add in the tomatoes, water, crush and add the garlic, the honey, the chickpeas and apricots
• return the meat to the pot, add the cut potatoes, mix everything together well...if there is not enough liquid to cover everything then you can add a little extra water but don't drown it
• bring to the boil then cover your casserole with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven
• allow the tagine to cook for about 40 minutes or until the pork is tender...by this time the liquid should have reduced quite a lot and be saucy thick
• taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed, if you want it a little spicier then you can add more harissa paste. Adding another clove of crushed garlic just before serving can really bring out the flavours too
• pour your casserole into the Tagine dish, scatter over the freshly chopped coriander and serve to your awestruck friends.

Tagine are usually served with couscous to soak up all that sweet spicy delicious sauciness, but as I had already added potatoes to the dish making it a truly one pot meal there was no need for extras.
I had a few sprout left over in the fridge and you know I hate to see anything go to waste so each plate had a helping of steamed sprouts....very colourful I'm sure you'll agree...and VERY healthy!