Moroccan · Tagines
Essaouira Sardine Tagine
Essaouira's fishing port lands sardines by the crate every morning, and the simplest way to cook them is stuffed with chermoula and layered over sliced potatoes and peppers in a tagine. The fish steam gently in their own juices and the chermoula, turning fork-tender with a bright, garlicky sauce.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 12 whole sardines, cleaned and butterflied
- 1 large bunch coriander and parsley, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, pinch cayenne
- 3 tbsp olive oil and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 potatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 red and 1 green pepper, sliced into rings
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
Method
- 1
Make the chermoula
Blend the herbs, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, oil, lemon juice and salt into a thick green paste.
- 2
Stuff the sardines
Spread a spoonful of chermoula inside each butterflied sardine and press closed.
- 3
Layer the tagine
Line the base with potato slices, then pepper rings, then the stuffed sardines, then tomato slices on top.
- 4
Add the sauce
Spoon over the remaining chermoula thinned with a splash of water.
- 5
Cook
Cover and cook over low-medium heat for 30–35 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the sardines are cooked through.
- 6
Serve
Serve straight from the tagine with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
Chef's tips
- Ask your fishmonger to butterfly the sardines — it makes stuffing far quicker.
- Slice the potatoes thin so they cook through in the same time as the fish.
- A squeeze of extra lemon at the table brightens the finished dish.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use frozen sardines?
Fresh is best for texture, but thawed frozen sardines work if well-drained and patted dry before stuffing.
What can I serve alongside sardine tagine?
Warm khobz bread and a simple tomato-cucumber salad are the classic pairing on the Essaouira coast.