How-to guide
How to Season a New Tagine Pot — Curing Earthenware Before First Use
A brand-new earthenware tagine — especially an unglazed or partly glazed one — needs seasoning before you cook in it. Curing strengthens the clay against thermal shock so it survives the heat of cooking, seals tiny pores, and gets rid of the raw, dusty smell of fired earth. Skip it and your first tagine may crack or taste of clay. The process is mostly waiting, not work. This guide gives the reliable soak-and-oil method; once cured, see how to use a tagine pot for cooking. Glazed tagines need only a quick version of this.
24 hours including soaking
Step by step
- 1
Soak the pot in water
Submerge both the base and the lid in cold water and leave them for at least a few hours, ideally overnight. The dry clay drinks in water, which helps it withstand heat later. A sink, bucket or bathtub works for larger pots; keep them fully covered.
- 2
Dry and rub with oil
Lift the pieces out and let them air-dry until the surface is no longer wet. Then rub a generous coat of olive oil over the entire inside of both base and lid, and lightly over the outside. The oil penetrates the pores and seals the surface.
- 3
Cure slowly in a cold oven
Place the oiled base and lid in a cold oven, then set it to a low temperature — around 150C. Bringing the pot up with the oven, rather than into an already-hot one, avoids the thermal shock that cracks clay. Let it heat gently for about two hours.
- 4
Cool in the oven
Turn the oven off and leave the tagine inside until it is completely cold. This slow cooling is as important as the slow heating; whipping a hot clay pot out into cool air can crack it. Patience here is what makes the pot last.
- 5
Wipe out and repeat if needed
Wipe away any excess oil with a cloth. The inside should now look darker and feel sealed. For a very porous unglazed pot, a second oiling and curing gives extra protection. It is then ready for its first gentle, well-oiled cook.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Cooking in a new unglazed tagine straight from the box, so it cracks or tastes of clay.
- Putting the pot into an already-hot oven rather than heating it from cold.
- Pulling the hot tagine out to cool quickly instead of letting it cool in the oven.
- Using too little oil, so the pores are not properly sealed.
- Washing the freshly seasoned pot with harsh detergent, stripping the cure.
Tips from the kitchen
- Season the lid as well as the base — both take the heat and both can crack.
- Use a plain oil such as olive or vegetable; avoid strongly flavoured ones for the cure.
- Re-oil the pot occasionally through its life to keep unglazed clay conditioned.
- Always use a heat diffuser when cooking on a hob, even after seasoning.
- Let a cured tagine dry fully before storing to prevent musty smells.
Questions
Do I need to season a glazed tagine?
A fully glazed tagine needs far less than raw earthenware, but a quick cure still helps. Soak it briefly, rub the inside with oil and warm it gently from a cold oven. This eases the pot into heat and reduces the risk of the glaze crazing or the base cracking on first use.
How long does seasoning a tagine take?
Allow the best part of a day. The soak alone is a few hours or overnight, the oven cure runs about two hours, and you must then let the pot cool fully in the oven. Most of that is unattended waiting, but the slow heating and cooling are what protect the clay.
Why does my new tagine smell of clay?
Raw fired earthenware naturally smells dusty or earthy, and cooking in it before curing can pass that smell to the food. Soaking and oil-curing seals the pores and largely removes the odour. If a faint smell lingers, a second oiling and gentle cure usually clears it.
Can I season a tagine on the hob instead of the oven?
You can, but the oven gives more even, gentle heat, which is safer for the clay. If you must use a hob, always sit the pot on a heat diffuser, start on the lowest setting and raise the heat very slowly, then let it cool gradually away from draughts.
Learn it hands-on in Marrakech
Reading is one thing; doing it beside a local host is another. Book a Marrakech cooking class, or explore the medina on a guided food tour.