Alexandrian Shrimp Tagine
Shrimp, peppers and celery finished in the oven with passata, garlic and cumin.
Preparation: 15 min · Cooking: 20 min · Total: 45 min · 2 servings
Ingredients
- 300 g raw peeled deveined shrimp
- garlic cloves, crushed — 3
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 120 ml sliced bell peppers, volume measure
- small onion, sliced — 1
- celery stalks, chopped — 2
- 120 ml passata
Instructions
Measure and prepare
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Choose a food-grade non-reactive oven-rated vessel whose maker permits hot food in a preheated oven. Decorative clay and cold-oven-only pottery are unsuitable here; do not preheat empty pottery unless expressly permitted.
Decorative clay and cold-oven-only pottery are unsuitable here; do not preheat empty pottery unless expressly permitted.
Prepare the ingredients
Keep the raw shrimp at ≤4°C until needed. Wash and slice peppers, onion and celery separately from raw seafood; crush 3 garlic cloves with clean tools. Measure 120 ml pourable passata, not concentrated paste.
Measure 120 ml pourable passata, not concentrated paste.
Build the base
Heat all 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Sauté peppers, onion and celery, beginning checks after 3 minutes, until starting to soften without burning.
Sauté peppers, onion and celery, beginning checks after 3 minutes, until starting to soften without burning.
Build the base: 180 seconds
Combine the components
Stir in garlic and 1 tsp cumin, checking from 1 minute until fragrant. Add all 120 ml passata and bring to a gentle simmer; no extra water, stock, canned tomato, chilli or salt is listed.
Add all 120 ml passata and bring to a gentle simmer; no extra water, stock, canned tomato, chilli or salt is listed.
Combine the components: 60 seconds
Cook and check
Stir raw shrimp into the hot sauce for about 1 minute. Transfer immediately to the prepared suitable vessel and the hot oven. This is continuous cooking: do not cool, hold or store the partly cooked shrimp mixture.
This is continuous cooking: do not cool, hold or store the partly cooked shrimp mixture.
Cook and check: 60 seconds
Finish carefully
Bake at 200°C, beginning checks at 12 minutes, usually around 12–15 minutes. The thickest shrimp must be firm, pearly/white and opaque throughout, not merely pink outside or surrounded by bubbling sauce. Remove when done; do not prolong cooking solely to reduce sauce.
Remove when done; do not prolong cooking solely to reduce sauce.
Finish carefully: 720 seconds
Check before serving
For 8 servings use 1200 g shrimp, 480 ml peppers, 4 onions, 8 celery stalks, 12 garlic cloves, 480 ml passata, 4 tsp cumin and 4 tbsp oil in equivalent suitable vessels. Check actual shrimp doneness rather than multiplying the baking time by 4.
Check actual shrimp doneness rather than multiplying the baking time by 4.
Serve and store
Serve hot in 2 portions immediately after cooking. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow portions within 1 hour at ≤4°C; use within 24 hours and reheat at most once to 74°C.
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow portions within 1 hour at ≤4°C; use within 24 hours and reheat at most once to 74°C.
Tips
- Instructions describe the original 2-serving batch. Scale the ingredient list to 1 or 8 servings: exactly half or fourfold. One cup is 240 ml, one tbsp 15 ml and one tsp 5 ml. Dry volumes are not gram weights. Use equivalent vessels/batches; cooking times are checks, not linear scaling rules.
Common mistakes
- Do not add unlisted ingredients or use the timer alone as a doneness test.
Substitutions
- Use only the listed alternatives and ingredient states; check product directions and allergens.
Storage
Refrigerate promptly within 1 hour in shallow portions at ≤4°C. Use within 24 hours from preparation, including chilling. These are selected conservative household limits, not a validated shelf life.
Reheating
Reheat leftovers at most once to 74°C throughout, then serve immediately. Keep unused portions refrigerated.
About this recipe
Shrimp, peppers and celery finished in the oven with passata, garlic and cumin.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.