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Donna R. Luis

Moroccan Khlea Egg Tagine

Creamy eggs are gently cooked over melted khlea, then finished with cream, cumin, black pepper, and fresh parsley. Serve immediately with bread for a rich, savory Moroccan breakfast.
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Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 heaped tablespoons khlea
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon double heavy cream, optional
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch ground cumin
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • A very small amount of fresh parsley finely chopped

Equipment

  • Moroccan tagine
  • Heat diffuser
  • Fork
  • Small bowl for beating the eggs
  • Spoon or spatula for stirring
  • Measuring spoons
  • Serving bread

Method
 

  1. Prepare the Eggs: Lightly beat the eggs with a fork and mix in the pinch of salt until just combined.
  2. Warm the Tagine: Place the tagine over a heat diffuser and heat it over medium-high heat.
  3. Melt the Khlea: Add the cold khlea to the cool tagine and allow it to heat gradually until the fat melts, which can take up to 10 minutes.
    Stir occasionally as it warms.
  4. Remove Excess Fat: Once the khlea fat has melted, scoop out approximately 1–2 tablespoons, depending on how much fat was clinging to the meat.
    Do not return this removed fat to the cold khlea in its storage jar; if using it elsewhere, use it within the next couple of hours for food-safety reasons.
  5. Warm the Khlea: Stir the khlea gently and allow it to warm for about 30 seconds after removing the excess fat.
  6. Add the Eggs: Pour the lightly beaten eggs into the tagine.
    Allow them to settle for about 20–30 seconds before stirring.
  7. Gently Set the Eggs: Stir the eggs, breaking them into soft curds as you would when making scrambled eggs.
    Continue allowing them to set, then stirring, for about 5 minutes, repeating the process approximately 3–4 times.
  8. Add the Cream: When the eggs have lost most of their liquid, drizzle in the heavy cream if using.
    Stir once if the eggs are still loose enough to move.
    If they have already become too set to stir, simply leave the cream to absorb into the eggs.
  9. Finish the Tagine: When the eggs appear almost fully cooked, remove the tagine from the heat.
    Sprinkle the cumin, freshly ground black pepper, and finely chopped parsley over the eggs.
  10. Serve Immediately: Serve the Moroccan khlea egg tagine immediately with your choice of bread.

Notes

  • Khlea releases a significant amount of fat as it warms, so remove about 1–2 tablespoons after melting if needed.
  • Keep the tagine over medium-high heat with a diffuser to help it warm gradually.
  • The eggs should be stirred several times as they set rather than continuously, creating soft scrambled-style curds.
  • Add the heavy cream only when the eggs have lost most of their liquid.
  • If the eggs are already too firm to stir when the cream is added, simply let the cream absorb naturally.
  • Remove the tagine from the heat while the eggs still look almost cooked, as the residual heat will continue the cooking process.
  • The original recipe notes that using a frying pan instead of a tagine can reduce the cooking time to about 5 minutes.