With travel on the back burner indefinitely and my wanderlust still intact, the number of international flavors and recipes coming from my kitchen has soared. If I can’t poke around a souk, bazaar or mercado, at least I can cook as though I’ve been shopping in one. That’s how Potato, Preserved Lemon and Picholine Tagine came to be. Featuring North African ingredients and cooked in a tagine from Essaouira, this dish evokes warm days spent wandering the labyrinthine, cobbled lanes of ancient medinas and dining on aromatic couscous, basteeya and, of course, tagines.

How tagines work

My favorite and most useful souvenir from Morocco is a terra cotta tagine. An engineering wonder, it consists of two parts: a circular, shallow pan and the large, conical-topped cover that fits inside the base. The cone shape allows condensation to cascade back down to the casserole, creating a rich, reduced sauce. The lid has a small knob on the top, providing cooks with something to grasp when removing the cover to check on the bubbling contents within. How clever is that!

Traditionally comprised of glazed terra cotta, today’s tagines come in materials familiar to the modern cook. Combinations range from stainless steel and aluminum core, courtesy of All-Clad, to cast iron and earthenware from Le Creuset. Unlike the classic clay construction, the new, pricier versions can be placed directly on a burner without the use of a heat diffuser. I must slide a cast iron skillet of comparable size beneath my old-fashioned pot before firing up the stove top.

Don’t have and don’t want to buy a tagine? You can make this in a Dutch oven that possesses a tight fitting lid. The keys to success are in keeping the heat at a low simmer, covering the dish while cooking and making sure the sauce doesn’t bubble away completely.

Potato, Preserved Lemon & Picholine Tagine

I serve Potato, Preserved Lemon & Picholine Tagine over plain couscous. Made from crushed durum wheat, couscous is a staple dish throughout North Africa and an increasingly common item in North American markets.

Serves 4

1 white onion, cut into chunks

3 cloves garlic

2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

1 3/4 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

Juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, plus more as needed

1/4 cup picholine olives

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

1/2 preserved lemon, rinsed and sliced

1 cup chickpeas

Steamed couscous, for serving

Using either a food processor or blender, purée the onion and garlic together.

Place the puréed onion and garlic, ginger, dried parsley, coriander seeds, salt, pepper, potatoes and carrots in the bottom of the tagine. Put the tagine on the stove top.

Pour in the lemon juice and stock. Sprinkle the olives and saffron over the top. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat.

Once the liquid has come to a boil, place the lid on the base and reduce the temperature to medium-low. Simmer for 25 minutes, adding more stock as needed. You’ll want to end up with a fairly thick sauce.

After 25 minutes, add the preserved lemons and chickpeas. Cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Spoon the tagine over couscous and serve hot.