G.O.A.T. Tajine
A Moroccan goat (G.O.A.T.) tajine…that says it all. Some years ago, My husband and I, my youngest son and his fiancé, and some friends rented a van and a driver to tour Morocco. It was the trip of a lifetime. To this day, it is still one of our favorite trips. One of the things that made it so special was the food with its exotic aromatic flavors, especially the tajines.
What is a Tajine?
It’s a traditional Moroccan method of cooking many types of meats and fish. It consists of a ceramic saucepan with a very tightly fit ceramic top, which is cone-shaped.
The high cone-shaped top lets the steam circulate and melds the ingredients into a stew. When the top is lifted, the unbelievable aromatic flavors wafting from the dish are mouthwatering.
We were fascinated by the tagines. Some were ornate and some were plain; some were large, and some were very small. We couldn’t walk through any of the souks (marketplaces) in Fez, Rabat, or Marrakesh without seeing tajine after tajine. We decided to collect a few on our journey, so we could replicate a meal at home.
Goat Tajine
By far, our favorite was goat tajine. It was the spices and combination of all the flavors of the meat, vegetables, and fruit melded together.
The umami robustness of the goat, the tanginess of the preserved lemons, the saltiness of the olives, the sweetness of the raisins and carrots, the sharpness of the onion, garlic, and fennel, and the mildness of the green beans all blended in perfect balance.
We have cooked goat tajine at home many times, it’s not a difficult meal… But so utterly delicious. We like to add sliced blanched almonds, toasted; some lime juice, and cilantro right before serving.
However, two special spices must also be added to a goat tagine, saffron, and the spice blend, Ras El Hanout. These spices give the dish its finishing touch.
Saffron and Ras El Hanout
Yes, Saffron is expensive. It’s the most expensive spice in the world…but it’s so worth it! There is no flavor substitute. It has a pungent and musky flavor that adds undertones and depth to the tajine. And all you need is a pinch of saffron, a few threads.
Ras El Hanout. Ras means “king” and it translates as head of the shop. Spice shops and households have their own unique recipes. The spice blend is a combination of many different spices that adds a warm, fragrant, robust complexity to the tajine. It’s really the taste of this spice blend that lingers in your mouth giving the tajine its backbone.
I make my own Ras El Hanout for our goat tajine. It includes 12 spices, cumin, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, salt, white pepper, coriander, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and cayenne pepper. Some recipes have 15–20 spices.
Put all the ingredients and spices together and you will see why it’s the G.O.A.T tajine!
