Sardine Tagine

Ingredients

• 800 gFresh sardines or small white fish, cleaned
• 3Medium onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbspFresh ginger, grated
• 4Garlic cloves, minced
• 400 gCanned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes, diced
• 3 tbspOlive oil
• 1 tspGround cumin
• 0.5 tspPaprika
• 0.25 tspCayenne pepper (optional)
• 100 gGreen olives, pitted
• 2 tbspPreserved lemon, sliced
• 200 mlFish or vegetable broth
• 1 tspSalt
• 0.5 tspBlack pepper
• 3 tbspFresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook onions: Heat olive oil in a wide tagine or shallow skillet over medium heat. Add thinly sliced medium onions and cook until softened, about 5–7 minutes.

2. 2

   Add aromatics and spices: Stir in grated fresh ginger, minced garlic, ground cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper if using. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. 3

   Simmer sauce: Add diced tomatoes, green olives, preserved lemon, fish or vegetable broth, salt, and black pepper. Simmer gently for 5–10 minutes to meld flavors.

4. 4

   Poach fish: Carefully lay fresh sardines on top of the sauce. Cover and simmer very gently for 8–12 minutes until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Be careful not to overcook.

5. 5

   Serve: Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve directly from the tagine with crusty bread.