Tagine el keren — cow or sheep feet tagine — is a Moroccan comfort dish of the winter, valued for its restorative properties. The feet (keren) are loaded with connective tissue, skin and bone marrow, all of which break down into gelatin over a very long, slow cook, producing a sauce that is thick, sticky and intensely savory. Chickpeas are the constant companion, adding substance and earthiness. The dish is associated with convalescence, cold weather, and post-Ramadan recovery, when something rich and nourishing is needed. It is also one of the cheapest cuts in the butcher shop, which is part of its everyday character.
The sauce is thick and glossy with dissolved gelatin, coating the lips; the meat from the feet is soft, sticky and rich, the chickpeas silky. It is the most warming dish in the Moroccan winter repertoire.
The gelatin is the whole point. Cow and sheep feet contain vast amounts of collagen in their skin, tendons and connective tissue, and a three-hour simmer converts nearly all of it to gelatin, which dissolves into the cooking liquid and turns it into a thick, lip-coating sauce. No other cut produces this much gelatin per kilogram. The long cook also extracts the marrow from the bones, enriching the sauce further. The chickpeas, cooked in the same liquid, absorb the gelatin-rich broth and become silky-soft.
Variations
Some add preserved lemon and green olives. A Marrakchi version includes ras el hanout. Tomato paste deepens the color.
On the Palate
Where Tagine el Keren sits in the Moroccan flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
6 steps · 25 min
- 110 min
Singe and clean 6 cow or sheep feet; cut into pieces if large.
- 25 min
In a tagine or heavy pot, heat 3 tbsp olive oil; add 2 chopped onions, 5 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tbsp ginger, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp paprika, salt; cook 3 minutes.
- 35 min
Add the feet and 2 cups soaked chickpeas; add water to cover.
- 430 min
Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat 2.5-3 hours until the feet are extremely tender and the sauce is thick and glossy.
Watch outGive it the full three low hours — that's how the feet's collagen melts into gelatin and turns the broth thick and lip-coating; short-cook and it stays watery.
- 55 min
Skim excess fat if desired; adjust seasoning.
- 63 min
Serve hot with bread.
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