Low and Slow Cooking with a Tagine

A tagine is a cone-shaped pot with a cylindrical lid whose shape forces the evaporating liquid from the bottom of the pot to drip back to the base. This process insures plenty of liquid stays in the pot while cooking to help produce thick, rich stews with tender, braised meat. Tagines originated in Northern Africa and were used as a type of slow cooker in the coals and embers of a fire. Tagine dishes are still cooked at lower temperatures, and can be used on either the stove or in the oven. If you don’t have a tagine, a Dutch oven is a good substitute.

Lana Restaurant and Bar in Charleston, South Carolina has been on the restaurant scene for over 15 years. Most evenings, chef and owner John Ondo expedites the orders from a kitchen window that is uniquely situated in the dining room. He personally delivers much of the food to the tables, often with a bit of humor or a quick story injected into the delivery. He is known for his outgoing personality as well as his consistent, Mediterranean-style cooking including tagine dishes. If you can’t meet Chef Ondo in person, try his recipe for Moroccan Lamb Stew. This aromatic stew packs plenty of flavor with lamb, sweet dates, cumin and cilantro.