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Tajine el Bey

Tajine el Bey is a delicious and refined variant of Tunisian tajine. It consists of 3 layers of stuffings mounted separately to compose a layer of meat, spinach base and ricotta, representing the 3 colors of the Bey of Tunis.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 559 kcal
Course: Main Course , Appetizer
Cuisine: Tunisian , North African

Ingredients

For the meat layer
  • 1 lb beef , ground
  • 2 onions , grated
  • 3 cloves garlic , pressed
  • 2 oz. cheese (e.g. mozzarella), grated
  • 4 eggs , beaten
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon tabel (Tunisian spice blend)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
For the spinach layer
  • 10 oz. fresh spinach , rinsed, drained and finely chopped,
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 2 oz. cheese (e.g. mozzarella), grated
  • ½ teaspoon tabel
  • salt
  • black pepper
For the ricotta layer
  • 10 oz. ricotta
  • 2 oz. cheese (e.g. mozzarella), grated
  • 3 egg whites , lightly beaten
  • black pepper
For the mold
  • 3 tablespoons butter
For the decor
  • 3 oz. walnuts (or pistachios, slightly roasted), crushed
Equipment
  • Baking dish (13 x 9 inches)

Instructions

For the meat layer
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and brown the onions for a few minutes.
  2. Add the ground meat and garlic and stir well.
  3. Add the cumin and the tabel. Add salt, black pepper and mix well.
  4. Cook the meat over medium heat, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring regularly.
  5. Remove the meat from the heat and let it cool for 15 minutes.
  6. Add the grated cheese and eggs and mix well.
  7. Gently mix this preparation to obtain a smooth and even layer.
  8. Preheat the oven to 350F (180˚C).
  9. Butter a baking dish and pour all the ground meat mixture.
  10. Using a spatula, even out the surface.
  11. Bake for 10 minutes. The surface must harden a little.
For the spinach layer
  1. In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Sauté the spinach, stirring regularly until all the liquid is reduced.
  2. Let cool completely then add the egg yolks, the whole eggs, and the tabel.
  3. Season with salt, pepper and stir well.
  4. Pour the spinach stuffing in the oven dish, on top of the meat layer, then sprinkle with grated cheese.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes.
For the ricotta layer
  1. Mix the ricotta, grated cheese, and egg whites.
  2. Add the ricotta mixture to the spinach layer and bake again for 10 minutes.
  3. Let cool and cut small diamond-shaped slices.
  4. Sprinkle each with crushed nuts or pistachios or a mixture of both.