Don’t frown, you’ll end up needing botox! Yes, I could see you frown when you read the name ‘Tanane‘. I like keeping you guys off balance; keeps you sharp!

Here’s a recipe from my girl, Khadya, who runs a gorgeous website (with matching products) over at La Beauté Berberè. I’d been nagging her for authentic Moroccan recipes for so long now. Finally she caved and handed me a special family recipe made by her mom. Go me! That’s what I was after!

Seriously though, I’ve never met her mom but already know that the woman can cook circles around me! This special blend is typical for South-West Morocco (region Agadir Idao Tanane) and can be used in countless ways:

1) as a flavored oil to cook meat, fish or vegetables in
2) add it after you sear fast cooking meat/fish/poultry
3) add a few tbsp to stews or tajines for a wicked flavor
4) as a fresh and crispy topping
5) as a marinade

It’s probably the most practical spice and herb blend I’ve ever made since it can be used in everything. The best part? It’s crazy simple to whip up a batch.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp oil (argan or olive)
thumb-size piece of fresh ginger
1/2 red onion
4 garlic cloves
1/2 red chili pepper
3 or 4 saffron threads
1/8 tsp paprika powder
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 lime
coriander


Directions:

Here’s the stuff.

Khadya uses 6 garlic cloves. I wasn’t that brave. I wimped out and used 4 instead. Surprisingly enough it wasn’t even over-garlicky, the flavor blends in.

You can chop or grate it by hand, but I decided to use my food processor for the job.

Remove the seeds from a chili pepper (Anaheim works well) and finely mince it. I used 1/2 the pepper.

Finely mince the red onion.

Transfer it all to a bowl.

The ginger, or ishkanzbir as ginger is called in Morocco, is a big part of the flavor. Peel and grate a thumb-size piece. Don’t skimp!

I decided to be a little pest and give it my twist, so I grated some lime zest in there as well. It tasted fabulous!

Just a hint of lime zest! Doesn’t it look cheerful?

Add the sweet paprika and ginger powder.

Saffron threads are quite expensive but also create that typical flavor you need, so in my humble opinion they cannot be replaced in this recipe.

Add three or four threads. (I decided to make a double batch, so there are more threads in my photo)

Pour in 4 tbsp oil.

Way too many photos, but can you really blame me? It just looked so cheerful, I kept shooting. And then I couldn’t decide which ones to use so I used them all.

Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime. Squeeze it through your fingers if you don’t want to be picking out pits. Mix it up.

Here’s the catch: the recipe calls for coriander. Yeah… so not happening.

I decided to use celery leaves instead, but it just as easy could’ve been parsley. Whatever you’ll use, finely mince it and add it to the Tanane.

Mix it all up and here comes the important part; put it in the fridge for some time.

The flavors need to mingle and the saffron needs to be steeped in liquid for at least 30 minutes. Let me tell you upfront that this blend is nothing short of mind-blowing. I lightly heated it and topped a chicken fillet with it (see photo below) and it was pure perfection. I added it to a beef stew and it was pure perfection.

You’ll want to try this recipe, just trust me. I see so many uses for this blend that it will undoubtedly become a staple in my house.

* the tanane is best used within 2 days!