Before first use, wash the Tagine base and lid in hot soapy water, rinse and dry thoroughly. No other preparation is required.

The Le Creuset tagine base is completely enamelled inside and outside, and thus totally hygienic and very easy to clean. The inner and outer vitreous enamel is matt black.
The lid is made from glazed earthenware.

The tagine is intended for hob use only and can be used on all hobs: gas, electric, radiant, halogen, ceramic, induction. If placed in the oven, the lid and base will become too hot and the lid, in particular, will evaporate the cooking liquid instead of condensing it as requested in tagine recipes.

Do not place the lid down on any direct heat, or very hot surface.

Select the size of your heat source as close as possible to the base size of your tagine. Too large a heat source will overheat the tagine base and lid.

On glass-topped hobs, although the tagine does have a smooth, vitreous enamelled base, it is still recommended that you lift the base on and off over the hob and never drag it across the surface.

MEDIUM and LOW heats should be used for all cooking and will always give the best results. Medium heats should be used for pre-browning ingredients and the very lowest settings used for long slow Tagine cookery. Do not use high heats at any time.

As a guide, electric hob dials may be marked with numbers 1-12:
12 is the HIGHEST setting
6 is the MEDIUM setting
2 is the LOW setting

WARNING!
Overheating is the most frequent misuse with cast iron. Le Creuset cast iron is very efficient not only in absorbing heat, but once hot, also in retaining heat. Using high heats works against the material and will contribute to poor cooking results, sticking of foods and seepage of liquid between the base and the lid. If overheated, the tagine will not cool quickly and it may be necessary to move it away from the heat source to assist cooling and avoid bad cooking results.
On the contrary, using medium and low settings allows the heat to spread evenly and gradually throughout the material – the cook has more control and the cooking results are so much better!

A tagine comprise two parts: a wide shallow base in which the food is cooked, and a tall conical lid. This particular lid design as a great advantage: it allows using only a very small amount of liquid during cooking and will keep food moist over a considerable time. As steam is produced inside the tagine, it cools and re-condenses as it hits the cool side walls so instead of evaporating most is retained with the food.

Timing for tagine recipes is intended to be slow, and hours of cooking should be expected (usually recipes call for 4 to 6 hours) so that the finished dish is full of succulence and flavour. The adjustment to a very low setting for cooking is important. There should be no movement in the food as it cooks and the lid should not be opened.

The tagine can be used for a wide variety of meat, vegetables and fruit dishes. The combination of meats (lamb, beef or chicken), sweet vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, eggplant) and fruits (lemon, dates, oranges, prunes) is very typical of North African cookery and provide a natural sweetness to many dishes. The sweetness is offset by the use of plenty of spices and cayenne pepper.

The cast iron base can be used on its own on the hob, in the oven or under the grill. This may be useful for cooking dishes other than tagines. On the hob, it can be used for pre-browning meats and vegetables before the slow-cooking process begins. In the oven, it makes a useful baking and roasting dish. And of course it can be used as a serving dish.

Use only wooden or heat resistant plastic or silicone tools for cooking. These will not scratch or damage the vitreous enamelled surface.

Do not knock utensils on the top edge of the base. This may damage the vitreous enamelled surface.

Do not cut foods on the surface or damage may occur.

After cooking, bring your stylish and colourful Le Creuset tagine to the table and serve directly from it. Cast iron retains heat so well that it will keep the dish hot for some considerable time – useful, as you’ll undoubtedly be serving second helpings!

Use a cloth or oven glove to lift the hot tagine base.

Always stand the hot tagine on a heatproof trivet or cloth, not directly on unprotected worktops.

After cooking, always leave the tagine base to stand for 10 minutes. Do not plunge the hot cast iron base into cold water or fill with cold water as thermal shock and damage to the vitreous enamel may occur.
Then, fill with warm water. Leave again for 10 minutes before washing in hot soapy water. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Do not leave the pan to drain or put away whilst still damp.
Remove stubborn residues with a sponge scourer or nylon cleaning pad only. Do not use metal scourers or any abrasive cleaners – they may damage the vitreous enamel surface.

After use, wash the lid in hot soapy water or wipe over with a hot soapy cloth to remove grease deposits. Rinse and dry thoroughly, particularly on the unglazed rim. If possible lay the lid on its side for a short while to ensure the earthenware rim is completely dry.
Nylon scourers may be used if necessary.
Do not leave the lid immersed in washing up water.

Store in an upright position to avoid damage.