Jocelyn McAuley on sun 18 nov 01
I Jeremy,
I too have been interested in Tagines, as I love the food that comes out
of them... thick, honey sweet almond lamb stews, ah yes!
http://www.images.google.com yields several photos when tagine is entered
as the search.
I would investigate how your friend intends to cook with it. If it is to
be used over a pit fire, then a "fireproof" clay would be a great ease of
mind. Traditionally the are also used stove-top, but they could be used
like a casserole dish in the oven. I believe there are several
discussions in the archives about this subject; that's probably worth
checking out.
Most of the tagines I have seen are a red clay body, with clear glazes,
but more and more colored glaze ones are showing up.
tagines.com (wow) describes it as:
"A shallow round *earthenware* glazed pot with a tall cylindrical lid that
traps the steam rising from the stew cooking in the bottom and prevents
the stew from fast drying allowing slow infusion of flavors throughout the
dish. Tagines are handmade."
They also have a section on how to season it before use.
Good luck
Jocelyn
--
Jocelyn McAuley ><<'> jocie@worlddomination.net
Eugene, Oregon
http://www.ceramicism.com
Jeremy McLeod on sun 18 nov 01
If I Were a Moroccan Tagine,
of what clay body would I be made?
A gourmet phood phreaque friend of mine has recently been enamored of
the cuisine of Morocco, particularly the class of dishes prepared in a rather
stunningly simple clay cooker. It's a flat, galleried dish (rather like a deep
dish pie pan) with a tall conical cover (nearly pyramidal in proportions).
The inside of the dish is glazed and both inside and outside of the cover
are glazed. The thing is traditionally made to be put over a small charcoal fire
(the container for which looks to be a highly grogged low-fire clay
unglazed). This "firebox" is designed with a rim that looks a bit like
the notched top of a castle turret so that the charcoal fire breathes well
and the heat on the bottom of the dish distributes well. Things cook in this
dish for many hours and moisture collects in the cone and "rains" back down
to keep the food moist.
Of course I'm the only potter my friend knows
and he's asking me to make him a tagine.
I've heard that low fire clays have been used for cooking utensils
in many cultures. Is this a good way to?
Perhaps clay bodies designed for raku? fired to cone?? what??
I have access both to an electric kiln and a ^10 gas kiln.
Since this is an ostensibly ancient and peasant-culture sort of item
does this preclude the possibility that a high/er fired stoneware is
the ticket?
So, dear ones and gentle people, whatcha think?
Jeremy McLeod
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