Introducing the new Tagine from Le Creuset.

The Tagine originates in North Africa, the people who live there have their roots in a variety of ancient civilizations that invaded, traded and visited these shores as they crossed continents.

A Tagine is as significant to the cooking of North African food as the wok is to Chinese cuisine and its design is not by accident. Fuel and water are two precious elements in this region and both have to be used frugally. Charcoal fires are almost the only form of “cooking equipment” they have and the wide shallow base of the Tagine can be pushed down among the coals to take full advantage of the heat.

The tall conical lid was not designed on a whim. It allows the smallest amount of water to be used to moisten the ingredients in the base and the steam it produces, on hitting the tall cool conical side, re-condenses to trickle back down over the gently simmering food. Just a few tablespoons added at the beginning of a recipe will produce sufficient liquid to serve a number of people when the Tagine dish is cooked.

The Le Creuset Tagine has been modelled very closely on the traditional design. However, as terracotta is not suitable to use directly on our hobs, the base has been recreated in cast iron. This allows for the very slow and even heat transfer which a Tagine needs to provide for the food. The conical lid, which is made from glazed earthenware, allows just the same pattern of re-condensation of the steam, but the glazed finish makes it less porous and therefore cleaner and easier to use.