Recipe: Tunisian Tajine with Potatoes and Meat

Name: Tunisian Tajine with Potatoes and Meat
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: Tunisian Tajine with Potatoes and Meat:500 gr (17.75 oz) lamb meat (leg, shoulder or neck); 5 potatoes; 7 eggs; 1/2 bunch parsley; 1 onion; 100 gr (3.5 oz) breadcrumbs; 2 cloves garlic; 60 gr (2.1 oz) grated gruyere; 80 gr (2.8 oz) gruyere slices; 25 gr (0.9 oz) ground turmeric; Olive oil; Salt and pepper

By benisou 5/5 (5 reviews)

Prep 15 min

Cook 45 min

Total 1h

Tunisian tajine with potatoes and meat is a classic of Maghrebi gastronomy that combines tender lamb with delicate golden potatoes. This chef-validated recipe brings together two distinct cooking methods: braised meat infused with turmeric for deep flavors, and a crispy base of blanched potato slices, bound together with eggs and grated cheese. It is a generous dish with remarkable texture interplay, rewarding your organizational efforts with a sophisticated balance between spice, garlic, and melting gruyère.

Ingredients

Tunisian Tajine with Potatoes and Meat:

500 gr (17.75 oz) lamb meat (leg, shoulder or neck)
5 potatoes
7 eggs
1/2 bunch parsley
1 onion
100 gr (3.5 oz) breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic
60 gr (2.1 oz) grated gruyere
80 gr (2.8 oz) gruyere slices
25 gr (0.9 oz) ground turmeric
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Step-by-step directions

Put 2 potatoes to boil for 30 min.
On a cutting board, first cut the lamb meat into strips, then into cubes.
Peel and chop the onion and degermed garlic.
Heat olive oil in a saucepan, pour the meat into the hot oil and brown it, salt, pepper, season with turmeric.
Add the onion mixture and a little water.
Simmer for 10 minutes, until the meat is cooked.
Peel 3 raw potatoes. Cut them into fairly thin slices.
Plunge them into a hot oil bath, just long enough to blanch them.
Line an ovenproof dish with blanched potato slices, overlapping them, sprinkle with 20 gr (0.7 oz) grated gruyere.
Beat an egg with a fork and pour it over, pass just one minute in a very hot oven.
Peel and chop the boiled potatoes, pour them into the meat with onions, as well as the chopped parsley, 20 gr (0.7 oz) grated gruyere and breadcrumbs.
Break 5 eggs into a separate bowl, pour them into the stuffing.
Mix well with a fork, pour this stuffing into the potato dish.
Cut 80 gr (2.8 oz) of gruyere into slices.
Alternate on the surface potato slices and gruyere slices, coat with a mixture of beaten egg with 20 gr (0.7 oz) grated gruyere. Cook for 15 min
at 220°, Serve hot.

Chef Patrick's Comment

Good recipe, personally I would have added a little pep's to it: harissa, Cayenne pepper or Espelette pepper.

Frequently asked questions

Can I replace lamb with another meat?

Yes, use veal or free-range chicken. Cook lamb and veal the same way (10 min simmering). Chicken is faster, 6-7 minutes. The key: meat with collagen so the filling binds properly.

How long does the tajine keep in the fridge?

Three days maximum, well covered. The egg filling doesn't reheat well. Freeze before cooking if you prep ahead: up to 3 weeks. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.

Why blanch the potato slices instead of deep frying them fully?

Blanching (2-3 min) makes them flexible without browning. Fully fried, they'd be crispy and won't stick to the filling. Blanching also lets the potato finish cooking in the oven with the egg.