I Need Help Cooking With a Tagine

ON THIS WEEK’S episode of Dinner SOS, food director and host Chris Morocco is joined by Leetal and Ron Arazi, the duo behind the brand New York Shuk, known for exceptional spices and pantry staples, to help caller Kaylee learn how to make a proper tagine.

Kaylee inherited a tagine (a conical earthenware cooking vessel that shares its name with various hearty stews that are traditionally cooked inside it) from her husband’s grandmother and tried her hand at making traditional North African food. It didn’t quite turn out as planned—the chicken was tough, the potatoes were undercooked, and the flavors were lackluster. Needless to say she hadn’t used a Bon Appétit recipe…

Chris calls in Leetal and Ron, who make and sell the kinds of punchy spices and pantry staples, like their Signature Harissa (the test kitchen’s favorite when it comes to this classic North African chile and spice-heavy paste), that can help home cooks like Kaylee bring their cooking to the next level. Leetal and Ron explain that when cooking in a tagine, you can’t add a lot of liquid because the base is so shallow. Many tagines are also delicate ceramic, requiring lower heat but longer cook times.

The duo offers up their recipe for Braised Chicken with Harissa and Olives, which leans into simple ingredients like onion, tomatoes, chicken, and a heavy assist from NY Shuk’s harissa (although most other brands would work), ras el hanout (which Ron describes as the ultimate Moroccan spice blend), and preserved lemon. They suggest serving the stew with rice, mashed potatoes, or fresh crusty bread.

Listen now to hear how Kaylee fares in making her dream tagine after a very helpful surprise video call from Leetal.