Fish Tagine with Tomatoes, Olives and Preserved Lemon

This recipe is adapted so that you don’t need a tagine vessel to make a Moroccan-style fish stew — with tomatoes, olives and preserved lemon. In fact, any shallow baking dish will suffice. Other than that, the recipe follows very much the traditional way of clay-pot cooking. Importantly, the rich taste of the dish comes from the charmoula marinade. Pieces of fish get a charmoula brushing before baking. After baking, charmoula is served with the fish as a sauce. More about the sauce later.

Fish tagine differs from a meat tagine that it requires much shorter cooking time. Less time doesn’t mean quick because cooking time in the oven takes more than an hour. If you prefer cooking on the stovetop, that’s possible too. Just keep the fire low at a simmer and be watchful. My preference is baking the stew in a 300°F oven. Either way, it’s in line with the slow-cooking approach that allows time to work its magic and for the flavor to deepen.

Lately, I have been exploring the slow-cooking method and I like what I see. Prior to this recipe, I’ve never cooked fish for over an hour. Can’t help to question how it all comes together and stays tender!

How does slow cooking work in this recipe without overcooking the fish?

The secret sauce for the fish stew, besides the chamoula sauce, is the vegetables. They are the carrots, celery, tomatoes, bell pepper and olives. The vegetables are carefully nestled in layers with the fillets of fish in the middle. Miraculously, layers of vegetables act as insulation to allow the proper evaporation of the moisture during cooking. That also helps coax all the ingredients to the desired degree of tenderness. In addition, the charmoula sauce, together with more water, give flavor and keep the fish moist in the tagine. Now you know that packing all the vegetables tightly, and undisturbed, around the fish in a covered clay pot is the key to success — even in a long and slow bake.

The Charmoula Sauce is a remarkable blend of cumin, sweet and hot paprika, garlic, herbs, lemon juice and olive oil. Combine all the ingredients in a blender, food processor or a mortar. The sauce is versatile; it’s widely used as a marinade for fish and vegetables in Moroccan cooking. Get ready to make two to three cups at a time. Store it in the refrigerator for a few days at which a maturation enrichs the taste. Top charmoula on fish or vegetables as a finishing sauce. It’s flavorful as well as useful in any kitchen.

Print Recipe

Fish Tagine with Tomatoes, Olives and Preserved Lemon | Paula Wolfert

By Paula Wolfert – Serves: 4

Cooking Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This recipe has been adapted for a 3 or 4 quart, 4-inch deep ceramic baking dish that can be brought to the table. A Morocco Tagine vessel is optional.

Ingredients

• FOR THE CHARMOULA:
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons crushed hot red pepper
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 wedges preserved lemons, rinsed, pulp and peel separated
• 3 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil
• FOR THE FISH TAGINE:
• 1 pound monkfish fillet or thick slabs of halibut
• 1 large carrot, very thinly sliced in a diagonal
• 2 ribs celery, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 1 pound red ripe tomatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 small green bell pepper, sliced into very thin rounds
• 2 dozen Moroccan red or picholine olives, rinsed and pitted
• 2 dried bay leaves, preferably Turkish
• Sprigs fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

1

MAKE THE CHARMOULA: Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until toasted and fragrant; grind to a fine powder. Transfer cumin to a mortar or jar of a blender and add garlic, salt, paprika, parsley, cilantro, pulp of preserved lemon, and olive oil. Puree to make a charmoula, using a pestle or by blending.

2

MARINATE THE FISH: Rinse fish and pat dry. If using monkfish, cut away grey membrane and divide the fish into 4 equal pieces. Rub half of the charmoula all over fish; let stand for 1 hour at room temperature or up to 24 hours, refrigerated. Add 1/2 cup water to remaining charmoula, cover, and keep refrigerated.

3

Preheat oven to 300°F. Spread 2 tablespoons reserved charmoula over the bottom of a tagine; sprinkle with carrots and celery. Add half of the tomatoes and bell peppers; top with fish and drizzle with some of the charmoula. Add remaining tomatoes and bell peppers and spread remaining charmoula over top. Chop preserved lemon peel and sprinkle around fish along with olives and bay leaves.

4

BAKE THE FISH TAGINE: Cover tagine with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.

5

REDUCE THE SAUCE: Remove tagine from oven and pour liquid from dish into a small nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat until thickened and reduced to 1/2 cup; pour back over fish.

6

FINAL BAKE: Increase oven temperature to 425°F. Baste fish with pan juices and bake, uncovered, in top third of oven until a crust has formed over the vegetables, about 10 minutes. Transfer tagine to a wooden surface or a folded kitchen towel to prevent cracking. Garnish with cilantro sprigs; serve warm or hot.

Notes

Adapted from The Food of Morocco by Paula Wolfert https://www.marthastewart.com/319279/moroccan-fish-tagine-with-tomatoes-olive