Globecooking recipe : Minced Beef Tagine (Tunisia)

As soon as I hear the word tagine, I think of a Moroccan casserole-style meal, cooked in a dish of the same name. I was unaware that it has a totally different meaning in Tunisia though, where it is a kind of omelette, containing meat and vegetables. It's basically a Spanish omelette Tunisian-style ! We ate ours hot but traditionally it is cut into squares and eaten cold, making it a great picnic or packed lunch food. I made a minced beef one but it can also be made with chicken.

Minced Beef Tagine

ingredients :

2tbsp butter

drizzle of olive oil

3 potatoes

500g minced beef

clove of garlic

2 onions

1/2 red pepper

squeeze of tomato concentrate

1/2tsp smoked paprika

1/2tsp cumin

8 eggs

splash of milk

handful of grated cheese

Chop the potatoes into small cubes (I didn't bother peeling them) and fry on a low heat in a drizzle of olive oil for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the butter, coat all the potatoes and cook for a further ten minutes on a very low heat until they are totally cooked through and nicely browned.

While the potatoes are cooking, gently fry the onions and garlic in a drizzle of olive oil, then add the mince and red peppers. Cook until the meat is totally brown. Drain off any excess liquid.

Squeeze in the tomato puree and the spices. along with a pinch of salt.

Pour the potatoes into the meat and stir it all up.

Scatter over a handful of grated cheese.

Whisk the eggs together in a bowl and add a splash of milk and a pinch of salt. Pour into the pan and cook for 5 minutes until the bottom of the egg has set.

Put under the grill for a further 5 minutes for the top to set.

Eat hot, with salad, or cold, chopped into small squares and stabbed onto cocktail sticks as party food.

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