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Salmon Tagine- Moroccan Stew

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Salmon Tagine

Dinners in the colder months in my kitchen tend to be rooted in heft and imbued with spices that aspire to transport– preferably to somewhere warmer. A tagine is historically a Berber dish from North Africa that is named after the special earthenware pot in which it is cooked. The traditional method of cooking with a tagine is to place the it over large bricks of charcoal purchased specifically for their ability to stay hot for hours.

I drew from tradition in this dish, using a regular dutch oven to prepare it. Even if we don’t own the same utensils, it is when we remember the source of the cooking rituals that a dish comes alive and truly nourishes us. When the spices fill your space as the broth bubbles on the stove and the fragrant herbs overflow on your counter, what you’re doing in the kitchen starts to matter.  Food becomes the the fire that melts the ice both outside and in. Gathering at the table sustains the flame. While the precious little light outside looks in at an oblong angle, our focus too can become blurred. I like to use meals like this as a way to appreciate the softened edges, to bask in the dim glow and to replenish the force inside that raises the masts every day from dark morning to dark night and gives us the will to keep sailing outside no matter what storms weather brings.

A little parsley, a little cilantro, rich spices, dried fruit and salmon go a long way when you need them to. In under 30 minutes, this is a weeknight keeper to bring out whenever the spirit needs a little lifting or when you want to add an element of strength from history to your daily sustenance.

Salmon Tagine

Salmon Tagine adapted from Chewtown’s Fish Tagine 

Just to be clear, the cook times on this dish are for a regular dutch oven and not for a tagine, which I imagine would differ slightly.

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons chermoula spice blend (If you don’t have chermoula, you can make your own paste by combining 2 cloves garlic, crushed, 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp chili flakes 1 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tbsps lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil)
  • 1/4 cup parsley
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or white)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 lb salmon
  • 1 cup couscous or white quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 red onion, cut into 8ths
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 sweet potato, in 1 inch cubes
  • handful of dried cranberries, currants or raisins

Salmon Tagine

Directions:

Into the body of a food processor place chermoula spice blend, parsley, cilantro (leave a little for the garnish), garlic, vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and blend until smooth. Remove the skin of the salmon and cut the fish into bite sized pieces. Place in a bowl. Add the chermoula to the fish and coat well. Set aside to marinate.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened.
Pour the stock into the pot with the canned tomatoes and bring to the boil. Add the sweet potato and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the fish and any remaining chermoula and cook for a further 5-8 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.

If using couscous: Place the couscous in a bowl. Boil the water, pour over the couscous, stir with a fork and then throw in the dried fruit, cover the bowl and leave to sit for 5 minutes.

If using quinoa: Boil the water, add quinoa and reduce to a simmer. Let simmer until the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. The grains will start to “sprout” forming a white ring around the center of each. When the water is mostly absorbed, lower the flame, throw the dried fruit in and cover.

Divide the couscous or quinoa between bowls and spoon the tagine over the top. Garnish with cilantro and parsley.

Salmon Tagine

Salmon Tagine

Salmon Tagine

Salmon Tagine

Salmon Tagine

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Amanda

      You’re already transported! Maybe this dish will land me in Andalucia! Or Barcelona and I can eat pheasant with you! But yes, I could do with a little warming up!

    • Amanda

      Oh nice! Go for it! Traditionally, I’ve used/eaten meat in my tagine dishes, but I was in a fish mood and figured I’d give it a shot. Thanks for your comment!

  10. Darya

    Oh I love a good tagine! I can almost smell it from overseas 🙂 What I love about fish stews is how quickly they cook, as opposed to the long hours required for meat stews. I have never seen or heard of salmon tagine before, but I have had other fish tagines, and they are wonderful, so I can imagine it very well with salmon too!

    • Amanda

      Yes, the flavors are wonderful. I had seen fish tagines before, but salmon looked the best at the market so I tried something new. It was really good! I agree with you. The charm of this dish, aside from the flavors is the short amount of time it takes to cook it. I’d send you some if it would keep! PS. I think you missed a post of mine on blini that I thought you’d relate to given your Russian history. I put it out right after Thanksgiving. Take a look!

  15. laurasmess

    My husband would love this, he’s a salmon fiend!! I’ve never thought to make a tagine with it before but yours looks delicious. Yum, thanks for the recipe! x

    • Michael Redbourn (@redbourn)

      Sorry, but if this recipe were used for cooking in a tagine and not a regular pot, then it would come out like soup 🙂

      And not be ready to eat for another couple of hours.

      The meal tasted great and I thank you for the recipe, but please don’t suggest that the recipe works for a pot and a tagine.

      They are two different kettles of fish.

      I am fairly new to cooking in a tagine but this is how I changed the recipe.

      Salmon Tagine Cooked In Tagine

      Prep Time 5 minutes

      Cook Time 2 hrs

      Total Time – 2hrs plus

      Serves 2

      Ingredients

      1/2 lb salmon
      1 red onion, half sliced and half chopped
      8 oz / 400g of canned diced tomatoes, or use peeled and softened fresh ones
      2 thinly sliced or diced carrots
      1 sweet potato cut into 1 inch cubes
      A handful of dried cranberries, currants or raisins
      1/4 cup parsley
      4-5 tbsp of stock or water
      2 tbsp fresh cilantro
      2 garlic cloves
      2 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
      Olive oil
      2 tsp chermoula spice blend – see below how to make it.

      * Optional – add 4 wedges of preserved lemons, rinsed, pulp and peel separated

      If you don’t have chermoula, you can make your own paste by combining 2 cloves garlic, crushed, 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp chili flakes 1 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tbsp of lemon juice and 1/4 cup of olive oil. In a blender or in a pestle and mortar.

      Directions

      Blend the chermoula spice blend, parsley, cilantro, garlic, vinegar and 2 tbsp of olive oil and blend until smooth.

      Remove the skin and bones from the salmon and cut the fish into bite sized pieces. Place them into a bowl and coat with the marinate, reserving just a little of the marinate.

      Add the onion and carrots along with some additional olive oil to the tagine, and cook until the carrots start to soften. This may take up to 30 minutes because the tagine will be starting from cold.

      Add the canned or peeled fresh tomatoes and the sweet potato, and after around ten minutes check to see if you need to add a little water or stock.

      Cook until the potato starts to soften, about 45-60 minutes then add the fish, any remaining chermoula and sprinkle on the raisins or other suggestion of your choice.

      Add the preserved lemons if you’re using them.

      Cook for a further 30 minutes because the fish is cold, and then serve and enjoy over couscous, Basmati rice or quinoa!

      —-

      Please feel free to change it and/or update it so that we all can learn.

      Michael

      • Amanda

        I totally appreciate your comment, Michael. I actually don’t own a tagine, but I do imagine if you use the cover on the tagine the fish would be ready much sooner. The veggies certainly take more time than the fish. I’ll reread my suggestions here and see if i need to be more clear. This recipe was delicious and i don’t want to mislead anyone into a bad experience. My whole goal in sharing is for people to make a good meal. There’s nothing better than executing a foreign dish well and it’s very frustrating when instructions aren’t clear. A

      • Amanda

        Okay I added a disclaimer that the cooking times here are for a pot only and also took out any instruction that would lead to misinterpretation. I’ll have to get a tagine and try it. Btw, if you liked that recipe, I highly suggest the chicken “tagine” that I also make in a dutch oven. No clue re cook times in an actual tagine, but this is one of my faves: http://sercocinera.com/2014/10/08/chicken-tagine-w-olives-and-preserved-lemons/ Happy cooking, Michael.