Recipe: Shrimp Tagine

the appetizer:

In Simply Shrimp, James Peterson blends delicate shrimp with influences from the world's cuisines, including recipes like Thai Shrimp "Bruschetta" (Thailand & Italy), Saganaki (Greece & Turkey), and Shrimp Tagine (Morocco).

Shrimp Tagine

Makes 6 main course servings

Moroccan cooking is complex and very underappreciated. This recipe derives from many like it, but extracts the best flavors and components of each. To learn more about authentic Moroccan cooking, consult Paula Wolfert's Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped fine
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
one 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated fine
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground turmeric or 1 tablespoon fresh turmeric, grated
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked for 30 minutes in 1 tablespoon water
6 tomatoes, peeled, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 small bunch cilantro, iarge stems removed
leaves from 1 small bunch mint
3 tablespoons golden raisins (sultanas)
3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted in a 350 degrees oven
until pale brown, about 12 minutes
1/2 preserved iemon, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 2 tablespoons
after dicing), rinsed in a strainer
(optional; these are available in most gourmet grocery stores)
30 large or 18 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (deveining optional)
3/4 to 1 cup bottled harissa sauce, for serving

Directions

In a heavy-bottomed pot large enough to hold the whole tagine, cook the onion, carrots, and garlic in the butter over medium heat until the onion is translucent and the carrots soft, about 15 minutes. Add the ginger, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves, and saffron with its soaking liquid to the carrot mixture. Gently stir the mixture—avoid breaking up the carrots—and cook over low to medium heat for about 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes, cover the pot, and simmeron low heat, covered, for 10 minutes more. Chop the cilantro and mint and stir into the sauce with the raisins, almonds, preserved lemon, if using, and shrimp. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with couscous or rice and harissa sauce.