The Classic Moroccan Meal Simon Pegg Loves

Actor Simon Pegg has played plenty of film roles during his career (big fan of "Hot Fuzz" here), which means he's had a chance to travel the world quite a bit while filming. And there's one meal that he enjoyed so much in Morocco that he considers it one of his favorites: lamb tagine. The word "tagine" can refer to both the dish and the cooking vessel with the conical lid that it's made in; the meal itself is a slow-cooked stew that essentially steams itself in the cookware.

Lamb tagine is frequently spiced with ingredients like ginger, cinnamon, saffron, and nutmeg. Oftentimes, you may find ingredients such as dried apricots in it as well. It's usually served with couscous (a type of pasta, not a grain), and it's such a hearty and flavorful dish that it's easy to understand why Pegg enjoys it so much. Tagine isn't just a Moroccan cuisine, either; you can find varieties of it in many other countries in North Africa and the Middle East.

Simon Pegg once made an appearance on Jamie Oliver's show, "Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast," in 2017, and Oliver took it upon himself to do some research. (Side note: Did you know Jamie Oliver had a video game nobody ever talks about?) He contacted a chef simply referred to as "Fatima," known for her tagine in Morocco, who sent over a recipe. He then cooked some lamb tagine for Pegg in person. That recipe, which is documented on Oliver's website, includes prunes, saffron, cinnamon, and lamb shoulder, slowly cooked for two hours. It's dedicated to Simon Pegg's love of the dish, sort of cementing his enthusiasm in stone.

If you're interested in making the dish, you don't necessarily need to invest in an authentic tagine. You really just need something to trap moisture in your cooking vessel to encourage steaming. A Dutch oven with a tightly-fitting lid should do the trick. But there's something about the shape of a ceramic tagine that gives it a lot of personality, so if you want to eat like Simon Pegg without filming on location in Morocco, you can try your hand at Jamie Oliver's version. All you need is some store-bought ingredients and plenty of time to let the stew work its magic.