Moroccan Style Fish Tagine

Moroccan style tagine lollygag

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Moroccan Style Fish Tagine

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Category

Mediterranean Madness

Cuisine

Moroccan

Servings

2-4

Prep Time

1 hour

Cook Time

1 hour 5 minutes

This fragrant and savory delicious dish is perfect for sharing with friends and family. Loaded with lots of delicious Moroccan spices, fresh local fish, and vegetables, this fish tagine (stew) recipe soothes the soul and is a great way to welcome fall!

Author:
Lollygag

Ingredients

1 large piece of fresh Halibut , Sole, or Cod fillets- deboned and cut into 4 (2.5"-3") small equal pieces

3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 small yellow onion- Peeled and sliced into thin rings

1 -14 oz. Cans of chopped fire roasted tomatoes-drained

1 Tsp. Citrus Salt or Sea Salt

1-2 turns of fresh cracked Pepper

1/2-1 C. Fish stock or vegetable stock (we used fresh Halibut from local seafood shop)

1 C. Baby new potatoes- cleaned and cut into quarters (we used rainbow)

1/2 small Aloha Pepper- deseeded and sliced ( Can sub with 1 small sweet yellow and 1 small sweet red pepper)

1/8 C. Pimento stuffed olives- sliced

1/2 preserved lemon-deseeded and chopped or the Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

1 Tbsp. Butter

2 Garlic cloves-Peeled and ends removed and minced

1/8 C. Fresh Cilantro for garnish

Chermoula

3 Tbsp. Moroccan Fish Tagine Spice Blend (or make a fresh-Chermoula Marinade) If making this fresh then use recipe instead of the Chermoula ingredients listed here.

1 1/2 C. Fresh Cilantro--Finely chopped with stems removed

1/4 C. Olive Oil

1/4 C. Fresh Lemon Juice

2 Large garlic cloves-Peeled and ends cut off

1/2 Tsp.Sea salt

Directions

Chermoula

To prepare your Chermoula, combine the salt and garlic cloves in a pestle & mortar and mash until a smooth paste is formed.

Add the garlic paste and the rest of the ingredients into a medium bowl and combine well.

Spoon half of the Chermoula blend over your fish filets in a deep dish and massage to cover fish

Let them marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Tagine

(See notes first on tagine “seasoning” prep if this is the first time you’ve used your tagine & caution notes.)
Prep the new potatoes by cleaning and cutting them into small quarters and prep all of your vegetables.

When your fish is done marinating, place the seasoned tagine on a diffuser over a burner on low heat with the olive oil, butter, and sliced onions making a bed on the bottom of the tagine.

Next, add the garlic and layer the peppers, potatoes, and the rest of your Chermoula on top.

Carefully add the fish fillets in the center of the tagine, layered on top of the vegetables.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, olives, and lemon juice/zest if not using preserved lemons. If you are using preserved lemons then cut them into quarters and add around the fish.

Next, add enough fish stock to just fill under the line of the tagine base.
Please Note: the fish will release more liquid and may over flow as it starts to simmer. If this happens ladle out some of the liquid into a pan and add back over the fish before serving. (I'll be honest, I had to do this a few times during this process & removed about 1/2 C. of liquid for later.)

Let this simmer for 1 hour and check if fish is cooked. If not keep it going checking every 10 minutes. (At the hour mark, start your Basmati rice or Israeli couscous according to instructions in a separate pan.

At this point the fish should be cooked through.

Carefully remove the tagine from the heat and let cool/steam for about another 10- 15 minutes.

Serve in large bowls or low bowls on a bed of Israeli couscous or Basmati rice and serve with toasted flatbread or fresh pita for scooping up all those good juices!

Recipe Note

* If you do not have a tagine, you can easily make this dish still in a large deep cast iron pot with a lid or better yet a dutch oven.
The most important things to remember before using your tagine for the first time.
- Make sure to season your tagine in the oven before starting- see below.
- Caution Notes: NEVER put hot things into a cold tagine or cold things into a hot tagine- it will most likely crack!
- Use over low heat with a diffuser and let it simmer slowly, you should never use high heat on a clay tagine to avoid cracking.
- As it simmers, it may overflow as the juices from the fish are released. If this happens, simply ladle out the juices into a saucepan and pour them back over the dish when serving.
Be patient, it's worth the wait!
Seasoning your tagine:
Soak the lid and the base in water for at least two hours, or overnight. As some clay cookware is quite large, you may need to get creative. Use a large bucket, a bathtub, a sink, a laundry room washbasin, a plastic basin. If you can't find something large enough to accommodate the top of a tagine, invert the tagine lid and fill it with water instead.
Drain the water and dry the tagine. If the tagine is unglazed, rub the interior and exterior of the lid and base with olive oil.
Place the tagine in a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 300 F/150 C, and set the timer for two hours.
After two hours, turn off the oven, and leave the tagine to cool completely in the oven. Wash the cooled tagine by hand, and coat the interior with olive oil before storing or using.