Luxor4u

Does anyone know how to successfully heat seal a tagine clay pot?
An old lady told me to use honey, wasn't very successful.
Any ideas gratefully received. JC Novelli...

Make up a dough of flour and water and run around the rim. It makes a great seal. The trouble is washing it off afterwards!

When she said honey, she was probably referring to treacle (the Egyptians call it 'black honey'). To seal a tagine, thinly coat the pot with treacle, put it in a very hot oven for about 10 mins, then leave to cool.

I did that with molasses but it seemed to burn off, i'll try again, when I've eaten its contents a curry. cheers....

I have several small tagines and they all leak like sieves and dissolve a bit more every time I go near them. Is there another way of sealing them other than burning treacle on them so that they look black and unwashed.

See post above. Make up a dough of flour and water, roll into a sausage and use to seal tagine. When cooked, break the dough to get the dome off. You'll need to soak it in COLD water when finished to loosen the dough, though. I have been using this method for 20 years, now.

Another method that works, is to place a layer of spinach or other soft green veg around the edge and clamp the lid into it. It helps to keep the contents moist and the lid is easily removed.

I see we are talking at cross purposes here Ess, your talking about the Moroccan Tagine where as Egyptian ones has no lid, we are trying to find out how the old ladies seal them for constant use.

drwho wrote:I see we are talking at cross purposes here Ess, your talking about the Moroccan Tagine where as Egyptian ones has no lid, we are trying to find out how the old ladies seal them for constant use.

[face=Comic Sans MS]Are they unglazed earthenware - just like a clay mold?[/face]

yup Hepzi, that's what they are exactly

[face=Comic Sans MS]Ah ha! I have a Chicken Brick and it sounds the same sort of thing. What you need to do is to soak it in cold water before use - about 20 -30 mins the 1st time, possibly a bit less subsequent usage depending on size.
Then cook your food as instructed.
Never wash them out with washing up liquid/soap - they absorb the flavour. Just use hot water and leave to soak in hot water if bit are stuck. You can sterilise them by using boiling water and salt solution but rinse out again in water afterwards.
Eventually they will absorb some of the fats and oils from the foods being cooked. This will help to seal them further.

Hope this helps - it certainly works with my Chicken Brick[/face]

Hepzi, I have to ask - what on earth is a chicken brick???!!!

countessa wrote:Hepzi, I have to ask - what on earth is a chicken brick???!!!

[face=Comic Sans MS]It's an earthenware/clay pot, with a base and a lid which are more or less equal in size and roughly the shape of a chicken. I've used one since the 1970's (Habitat) and chicken is lovely when cooked in it.

I also cook new potatoes in mine sometimes. Soak the pot, clean the potatoes, place in the pot and add a small sprinkling of salt and also some mint leaves if desired. Cook for about 40 mins. The have a slightly earthy taste - good when they are hot & lovely cold.

I've found this website which gives a picture, care and cleaning and [/face]also some recipes. Happy cooking!
http://www.ripegifts.co.uk/acatalog/claypotcooking.html

Ahh - thanks for that - I've got some unglazed clay pots I've never used (the treacle thing sounded far too messy!), but now I think I'll try your method of soaking them in cold water first

Great link - I noticed there are even some recipes at the bottom

countessa wrote:Great link - I noticed there are even some recipes at the bottom

[face=Comic Sans MS]I've just read the Honey and Ginger Chicken one. Sounds good to me. [/face]

Hepzi's method makes a lot of sense since the tajines are probably made of a similar substance as a zir, the big water jars, or a gulla, the small water jars for drinking. When you buy a new zir or qulla, when you first fill it with water, it drips a lot initially, but then it stops dripping so much as the clay and the water have reached a happy equilibrium.

Thanks for all the information and tips, so 'lamb tagine' for Sunday dinner then?...

drwho wrote:Thanks for all the information and tips, so 'lamb tagine' for Sunday dinner then?...

[face=Comic Sans MS]oooh yes please. But don't forget to add the prunes or apricots for that extra special flavour. [/face]

B*gger! I thought you meant a Moroccan tagine. Yes - the same method as for a chicken brick, as described above.

Ess wrote:B*gger! I thought you meant a Moroccan tagine. Yes - the same method as for a chicken brick, as described above.

[face=Comic Sans MS]Ess - to be honest I wasn't sure to begin with and kept meaning to post the question 'What do you mean by seal?' As you got there first with the dough seal I left it to wait and see the reponse. So both answers were correct - it was the question that was wrong. [/face]