Artichoke & Beef Shank Tagine with Peas and Preserved Lemon

Serves 4

A slow-braised Moroccan tagine built around tender beef shank, bright artichoke hearts, sweet spring peas, and the briny lift of preserved lemon — perfumed with saffron, Ras el Hanout, and Mehdi’s spice pantry.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef shank, bone-in, cut into 2-inch pieces

• 1 tsp turmeric

• ½ tsp Villa Jerada Ras el Hanout

• 1 tsp ginger powder

• 1 tsp white peppercorns, finely ground (or black pepper)

• 1 pinch saffron threads

• ½ tsp fine sea salt

• ½ cup water (for marinade)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

• 3 garlic cloves, left whole and unpeeled

• 2 cups water (for braising)

• ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

• 4 artichoke hearts, fresh or thawed, quartered

• 2 cups fresh or frozen peas

• 1½ preserved lemon peels, pulp removed, thinly sliced

• 1 tbsp lemon juice (for acidulated water)

Method

1. Bloom the saffron.

Add the saffron threads to the ½ cup of water and let steep for 10 minutes until the water turns deep gold. This activates the saffron’s color and fragrance before it hits the meat.

2. Make the spice marinade.

In a large bowl, combine the turmeric, Ras el Hanout, ginger, pepper, and salt. Pour in the saffron water and whisk to form a loose paste. Add the beef shank pieces and toss well to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

3. Prep the artichokes.

Fill a bowl with cold water and the lemon juice. Trim the artichokes down to the hearts, removing the outer leaves, choke, and stem. Quarter each heart and drop immediately into the acidulated water to prevent browning. Set aside.

4. Sweat the onions.

Heat the olive oil in a tagine or heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent — about 5 to 7 minutes. Do not brown.

5. Sear the beef.

Push the onions to the side and add the marinated beef shank in a single layer. Sear on all sides until lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes total. This builds depth in the braise.

6. Start the braise.

Add the 2 cups of water and scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover tightly and cook for 30 minutes.

7. Add the herbs and artichokes.

Scatter in the parsley and cilantro. Drain the artichoke hearts and add them to the pot along with the preserved lemon. Stir gently to combine. Cover and continue cooking for 20 minutes.

8. Add the peas and finish.

Add the peas to the pot. If using fresh peas, cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. If using frozen, 5 minutes is enough. The broth should be fragrant and slightly reduced. Taste and adjust salt.

9. Rest and serve.

Remove from heat and let the tagine rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes before serving. Serve directly from the pot with crusty bread, khobz, or over a bed of couscous. Garnish with a few extra sprigs of fresh cilantro.

Notes

Artichoke shortcut: Frozen artichoke hearts work beautifully and skip the prep entirely. Thaw completely before adding.

Make it ahead: Like most braises, this tagine improves overnight. Reheat gently and add the peas fresh when serving.

Beef substitution: Bone-in lamb shoulder or neck works equally well and is traditional in many Moroccan households.

Vegetarian option: To make this tagine meat-free, simply omit the beef shank. Start by sweating the onions and garlic as directed, then add the spice marinade directly to the pot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to bloom the spices in the oil. Add the water, bring to a simmer, and proceed with the recipe from step 7. Without the meat, the artichokes and peas carry the dish beautifully — the preserved lemon and saffron broth more than hold their own. A handful of canned chickpeas added with the peas makes it more substantial.

Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon & Olives

A soulful Moroccan classic—bright, spiced, and deeply comforting.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken or 4–6 bone-in pieces

• ½ preserved lemon (interior to rub the chicken, peel sliced for garnish)

• ½ cup chicken stock (plus ½ cup more if needed)

• 1 tsp saffron threads

• 1 Tbsp turmeric

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 Tbsp grated garlic

• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped

• 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 Tbsp Harissa

• 1 onion, chopped

• ½ cup Moroccan Picholine Olives

Method

1. Marinate: In a bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, saffron, turmeric, paprika, ginger, coriander, chopped cilantro, and ½ cup chicken stock. Rub the marinade into the chicken, adding the interior of the preserved lemon for brightness. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes (overnight for deeper flavor).

2. Brown: In a tagine or skillet, sauté the marinated chicken until lightly golden. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and fragrant.

3. Simmer: Stir in Harissa, olives, and the preserved lemon peel. Add stock as needed to create a sauce. Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender and fully cooked, about 35–45 minutes.

4. Serve: Garnish with extra cilantro and preserved lemon. Serve warm with couscous or crusty bread.

Mrouzia - Lamb Tagine

Ingredients

• 1 pound lamb (shoulder or neck)

• 1/2 tbls Ras-El-Hanout

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

• Pinch of saffron threads

• 1 onion (grated)

• 1/2 cup (75 grams) dried raisins

• 3 tbls extra virgin olive oil

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 2 tablespoons of honey

• Almonds (whole raw)

• Fried almonds (whole blanched)

• 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Method

1. First make the marinade. In a bowl combine all the spices. Ras-El-Hanout, ground ginger, a large pinch of saffron, salt, and pepper. Add a little bit of water and mix well. For the meat, you can use lamb shoulder or neck – if you do not like lamb you can use beef instead. Pour the marinade over the meat, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight if you can.

2. When you are ready to cook the meat, do the following: peel and cut the onion, then grate it using the big holes of a grater. Place the raisins in a bowl and cover them with hot water for 1-2 hours so they become soft.

3. In a heavy pot, drizzle the olive oil over medium heat, add the grated onion, mix, and cook for a couple of minutes. Now add the meat with all the marinade, and brown the meat from all sides cooking meat for around 5 minutes until it changes color, this will help hold the flavors into the meat.

   Once the meat is browned, add 2 cinnamon sticks to the pot, and cover the meat with water. Increase the heat to medium-high, cover the pot, and cook until the meat is tender! This can take up to 2 hours meanwhile you have to check on the meat every 20 minutes or so. Stir the meat, keep adding hot water, and just check on it until it’s done.
   

   When the meat is done, which means it is very soft, you can easily cut it with a knife add the drained raisins. Remove the cinnamon sticks and add the honey that brings this dish together.
   Uncover the pot, and continue cooking on medium-high for around 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and becomes syrupy.

   
   To plate it, first place the meat, put the raisins in the middle on top of the meat, pour the sauce on top and around the meat, then top the entire thing with fried almonds!!! Serve with Moroccan bread or French baguette.

Celery Kefta Tagine

Ingredients

• 3 Celery stalks

• 1 Onion

• 1 Garlic clove

• 1 Preserved Lemon

• 1tsp Ras el hanout

• 1tsp Turmeric

• 1/2tsp Black pepper

• 3 tbsp Olive Oil

• 1 cup of Water

• Salt to taste

Kefta Meatballs:

• 1lb Ground Meat

• 2 tbsp Kefta Rub

• 2 crushed Walnuts

• 1 cup chopped Parsley

• 1 cup chopped Cilantro

• 1 Green Onion

• 1/3 cup diced Onion

• 2-3 Mint leaves

• 1 Sage leaf

Method

To prepare the Kefta:

1. Mix the ingredients together and knead until the mixture resembles a dough ball

2. Make small little balls. You could make this ahead of time and let the Kefta sit overnight

To prepare the Tagine:

1. Thinly slice the onions.

2. Heat the olive oil and cook onions on medium heat for 5 minutes stirring occasionally until translucent. Meanwhile cut the celery into thin long pieces.

3. Add the celery to the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add a tiny bit of water if the pan is drying.

4. Add your spices, and garlic. Cook for another 5 minutes while stirring occasionally.

5. Add liquid and let simmer until the sauce has thickened and the celery is soft enough. This should be around 15-20 minutes covered on a slow med heat.

6. Add your rolled Kefta balls and cook for another 5 mins and add chopped parsley and cilantro. Let cook for 5 minutes. Your tagine is ready to enjoy with some crusty bread. Drizzle with more olive oil before serving.

Green Bean Tagine

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion (diced)

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp of saffron (steeped in warm water for 30min)

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup of mixed parsley and cilantro

• 1 can chopped tomatoes (we like Posardi)

• 2 tbls tomato paste

• 1 lb green beans (trimmed and cleaned)

• 1 preserved lemon (inside removed and thinly sliced)

• 1 cup warm water

• Salt to taste

Method

In a cooking pot (we use a Dutch pot) warm some olive oil, add your onions and cook until translucent, add garlic cook for another minute then add the tomatoes, herbs, spices and beans. Let cook for another 5 min then add the water and half of the preserved lemons (cut in thin slices). Reduce heat to med-low and cover. to simmer. Cook until the beans are tender. Once the beans are cooked add the rest of the preserved lemons in thin slices.
Serve warm with some more good quality fruity olive oil (we recommend our Atlas Olive Oil) and warm bread.

Kefta Meatball Shakshuka Tagine

Ingredients:

• 3-4 Eggs

• 1tbsp Tomato paste

• 2-3 Tomatoes grated

• 1 Onion

• 1tbsp Harissa

• 3tbsp Olive oil

• 1 cup Water

• 1tbsp Kefta rub

• Parsley

• Cilantro

• Salt

In a tagine, sweat some onions in olive oil on a light heat for about 15 min.

Meanwhile make the kefta

• 1lb Ground Meat

• 2 tbsp Kefta Rub

• 2 crushed Walnuts

• 1 cup chopped Parsley

• 1 cup chopped Cilantro

• 1 Green Onion

• 1/3 cup diced Onion

• 2-3 Mint leaves

• 1 Sage leaf

1. Mix the ingredients together and knead until the mixture resembles a dough ball.

3. Make small little balls. Could make this ahead of time and let the kefta sit overnight.

4. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, spices, herbs and let simmer for 10 min until a good thick sauce develops.

5. Add the kefta balls, cook for 5 min, add the eggs. Remove from heat once everything is cooked or until the eggs are to your liking.

Serve with a nice crusty French bread or our personal favorite Batbout (homemade Moroccan Semolina flatbread).

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 4 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
• 1 large tomato, cored and sliced ¼ inch thick
• 1-2 Anaheim peppers, seeded and sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick
• 1 clove garlic, very thinly sliced
• 1 ½ cups water
• 3-4 tablespoons best quality olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons harissa
• 1 teaspoon kefta rub
• 15 saffron threads
• Sea salt + freshly ground black pepper
• About 8 small sprigs cilantro, plus additional to garnish

Scatter the onions over the bottom of a large sauté pan or tagine and salt lightly. Tile the sliced potatoes over the onions. Arrange the sliced tomatoes, peppers and garlic over the potatoes. Pour the water into the bottom of the pan. The precise amount will vary slightly based on the size of your pan, but you want enough to form a thin layer over the bottom of the pan, just covering the onions. Pour the olive oil over the vegetables. (Don’t skimp on the olive oil, it’s part of what makes the potatoes silky and soft when they’re done cooking.) Dot the harissa over the vegetables. Season generously with salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Sprinkle with the kefta rub and saffron then arrange the cilantro sprigs over the top. Bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat then cover and cook until most of the water has evaporated, the potatoes are cooked through and the tomatoes are starting to fall apart, about 20 minutes. You may need to reduce the heat a little. If there’s still a little water in the bottom of the pan when the vegetables are done, remove the lid and cook off the excess. Sprinkle with additional cilantro to garnish, if desired, and serve in the pan. Makes 3-4 servings.