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Beef and Onion Tagine with Prunes and Apricots
Tagine de boeuf aux pruneaux is a classic Moroccan braise, one that exemplifies the North African way of combining savory and sweet ingredients along with warm, aromatic spices. In Fes, we tasted many renditions of this stew of beef, onions and dried fruits—in casual eateries, upscale restaurants and even home kitchens. When re-creating the dish, we aimed to combine the best attributes of our favorite versions: a generous amount of silky caramelized onions, chunks of fork-tender beef, a harmonious mix of aromatic spices and enough savory garlic to balance the sweetness of the fruits. The customary method for making tagine de boeuf aux pruneaux is to layer the ingredients in the pot. We took a cue from home cook Rkia Ouali who reserved half of the copious amount of onions for scattering on top of the stew before allowing it to simmer slowly. This technique creates a little variation in the onions’ texture and flavor, with the slices at the bottom becoming meltingly soft and the ones at the surface taking on some light caramelization. We serve our tagine garnished with almonds and parsley, along with dried apricots and additional prunes simmered until plump in some of the braising liquid, then finished with sesame seeds. This elegant compote-like flourish was unique to home cook Hayat Hamass’ recipe and one we adopted to bring some contrasting flavor and color to the stew. The Moroccan flatbread called khobz is the traditional accompaniment for this tagine; alternatively, serve warmed pita or crusty bread alongside.
6 to 8
Servings
Don’t put the stew into the oven until the liquid has reached a simmer on the stovetop. If it’s shy of simmering when the pot goes into the oven, it will take longer to come to temperature and the cooking time will need to be extended. Also, after removing ½ cup of the braising liquid, be sure to return the pot to the oven uncovered. This will allow the liquid to reduce slightly, yielding deeper, more concentrated flavor. It also will allow the upper layer of onions to take on some color.
3 hours
30 minutes active
Ingredients
-
2
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
-
2½
pounds red onions, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick
Directions
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01Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. In a large Dutch oven over medium, combine the oil, half of the onions and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are wilted and translucent, 7 to 9 minutes. Add the beef, ginger, turmeric, 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
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