Moroccan Anchovy Tagra: A MasterChef White Apron Recipe

8 days ago

Recipe & post by Dave Patera | @DinnersWithDave | Founder of bsaha.

You've probably heard of tagine, but have you ever heard of tagra?

There are those dishes in the Moroccan kitchen that for many outside of Morocco have a bit of mystery behind him. In my opinion, this is one of them.

Tagra is a traditional dish that hails from the North of Morocco and often combines fresh seafood, fragrant chermoula and tomatoes, all cooked together in a beautiful shallow clay vessel known as a tagra.

It's also the dish I chose to prepare for Gordon Ramsay on MasterChef USA, earning me my coveted white apron! But, long before it made its way into the MasterChef kitchen, I fell in love with this traditional dish in Tangier, Morocco.

What Is Tagra?

Tagra refers to the shallow earthenware cooking vessel traditionally found in Northern Morocco, particularly in coastal cities like Tangier and Tétouan. Much like tagine, tagra refers both to the cooking vessel as well as the prepared meal itself.

However, unlike the iconic conical tagine, a tagra is wide and shallow, making it particularly well suited to cooking seafood. Fresh sardines, anchovies, and other fish are commonly prepared in these vessels, often with tomatoes and chermoula.

Chermoula is a traditional marinade typically made with fresh herbs, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices. It's a cornerstone of Moroccan cooking and is very often paired with seafood.

In traditional tagra preparations, sliced tomatoes are often coated in chermoula and layered beneath the fish before everything is cooked together.

For the version I'm sharing here today, we're doing things a little differently. Instead of using sliced tomatoes, we're preparing a quick-cooked tomato sauce infused with the same aromatic chermoula spices. This creates a flavorful base for the anchovies while packing in those slow cooked flavors in a fraction of the time. Time is of the essence in the MasterChef kitchen!

Don't own a tagra? They're available on bsaha in traditional and modern styles.

From Tangier to the MasterChef Kitchen

The first time I tasted a truly authentic anchovy tagra was in Tangier, where an incredible chef named Latifa introduced me to her preparation. I immediately fell in love with the dish, and she's since shared advice with me on how to recreate it at home.

My own family has ancestral roots in Tétouan, so preparing a dish from northern Morocco felt particularly meaningful when I was deciding what to cook for my MasterChef audition.

I wanted to showcase a traditional Moroccan preparation that reflected both my passion for the cuisine and my family's connection to the region.

When I arrived in the MasterChef kitchen, I was genuinely surprised to discover that the production team had managed to procure an actual tagra for me! I know firsthand how difficult these beautiful pieces of cookware can be to find outside Morocco.

The challenge? I had just 45 minutes to clean and fillet whole fresh anchovies, prepare my chermoula, cook the tomato sauce, and get everything into the oven.

The result? Gordon Ramsay loved it, calling me a " technician," and I walked away with my white apron! A very proud moment.

Now, here's how you can make it at home.

Moroccan Anchovy Tagra Recipe

Fresh anchovies are nothing like the intensely salty, preserved anchovies you might be familiar with. They're delicate, beautifully briny, and incredibly flavorful. You can order fresh anchovies from online seafood markets and you'll often find them in Italian and Asian supermarkets.

In this recipe, fresh anchovy fillets are coated in chermoula and arranged over a fragrant tomato sauce before being baked until tender.

Serves: 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a main course
Oven temperature: 425°F (220°C)

Ingredients

For the Tomato Sauce

4 tbsp Moroccan olive oil
4 tomatoes, grated
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1½ tsp ground cumin
2 tsp Moroccan paprika
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp Moroccan Fish Spices (Épices de Poisson), optional
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp tomato paste
1½ tsp harissa
Salt, to taste

For the Chermoula

5 cloves garlic
¾ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbsp Moroccan paprika
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
5 tbsp Moroccan olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1½ tsp harissa
1 tbsp tomato paste
Salt, to taste

For Assembly

14 fresh anchovy fillets, cleaned
2 lemon slices
2 bay leaves
1 whole fresh chili pepper
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Cilantro microgreens, optional garnish

Optional Garlic Toasts

1 baguette, thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled
Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare the Tomato Sauce

Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Add the minced garlic and sauté briefly until fragrant. Stir in the cumin, paprika, black pepper, and optional Moroccan épices de poisson. Allow the spices to bloom in the warm oil for approximately 30 seconds, stirring continuously to prevent burning.

Add the grated tomatoes, parsley, cilantro, bay leaf, tomato paste, and harissa. Stir to combine and season with salt.

Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the flavors have developed.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the tomatoes are particularly acidic, add a small pinch of sugar or baking soda to balance the acidity.

Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Make the Chermoula

Using a mortar and pestle or food processor, combine the garlic, cilantro, paprika, cumin, dried thyme, black pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, harissa, tomato paste, and salt.

Blend or pound until the ingredients form a fragrant paste.

Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Did you know? Thyme is occasionally used in traditional Moroccan fish preparations, adding a wonderful aromatic note to the chermoula.

3. Prepare the Anchovies

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).

Dredge each anchovy fillet in the chermoula, coating both sides generously.

Set aside while you prepare the tagra.

4. Assemble the Tagra

Place your tagra on a baking sheet.

Spread the prepared tomato sauce evenly across the bottom of the tagra, removing the bay leaf, if desired.

Arrange the chermoula coated anchovy fillets artfully over the tomato sauce, flesh side up.

Tuck the two bay leaves between the fillets to perfume the dish as it cooks.

Place the two lemon slices in the center and position the whole chili pepper on top.

5. Bake

Bake uncovered for approximately 10–15 minutes, or until the anchovies are cooked through and the sauce is gently bubbling.

Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the tagra to a wooden serving board.

Important: Never place a hot clay tagra directly onto a cold surface. The sudden temperature change can cause thermal shock and potentially crack the earthenware.

6. Prepare Garlic Toasts (Optional)

This dish is traditionally served with crusty bread or khobz. On MasterChef I served this dish with crusty pieces of garlic toast. To prepare, arrange thinly sliced baguette pieces on a baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil.

Bake at 425°F (220°C) until golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes.

Immediately after removing them from the oven, rub each toast with a peeled garlic clove and season lightly with salt.

7. Garnish and Serve

For a beautiful finishing touch, arrange a few garlic toasts around the tagra and garnish with cilantro microgreens.

Serve immediately with garlic toasts or warm crusty bread and enjoy!

Chef's Tip: Keeping Your Garnishes Fresh & Vibrant

Here's a little trick I learned during my time on MasterChef!

Delicate garnishes like microgreens can wilt almost immediately when placed directly onto a hot surface.

When I presented my anchovy tagra to Gordon Ramsay, I wanted the cilantro microgreens to remain vibrant and fresh while the dish was waiting to be judged.

The solution? Garlic toasts!

By placing the microgreens on top of the toasted baguette rather than directly onto the hot tagra, I created a little barrier that protected the delicate greens from the heat.

It's a simple technique that makes a big difference when you're looking to elevate the presentation of a dish.

Of course, if you're making this at home, you can skip the microgreens entirely and simply serve your tagra sprinkled with a bit of finely chopped parsley or cilantro and serve with plenty of crusty bread. It's every bit as delicious!