Algerian Fish Tagine Dinner A Planning Guide for Four — Casual & Relaxed Menu at a Glance

• Appetizers: bourek pastries, zaalouk, shlada, carrot salad, olives & preserved lemons
• Main: Algerian-style fish tagine (grouper, monkfish, or dorade)
• Sides: vegetable couscous, ras el hanout roasted vegetables, fennel & orange salad
• Beverages: mint tea, orange blossom lemonade, Provençal rosé, cardamom coffee
• Dessert: makroudh, chebakia, or dates from African Market Nice

Fish Notes Traditional choice: grouper (mérou), firm and classic for Maghrebi tagines. Easiest to work with: monkfish (lotte) — very firm, forgiving, freezes and thaws well. Widely available: sea bream (dorade), hake (merlu), or cod (cabillaud). Picard is a perfectly good source for monkfish or cod fillets if you want a stress-free, pre-portioned option. For a more special-occasion presentation, buy grouper or dorade fresh from a fishmonger at Marché Provençal. Ambiance Music: Algerian raï (Cheb Khaled, Cheb Mami, Rachid Taha) for arrival and after dinner; chaâbi or Andalusian-influenced malouf as a mellower backdrop during the meal. Decor: low warm lighting (candles, lanterns), a patterned kilim-style table runner, brass or copper serving pieces, fresh mint and citrus as a simple centerpiece, incense or bakhoor lit before guests arrive. Don't forget: a bread basket, a small bowl for olive pits, a lemon or rose-petal water bowl for rinsing fingers, and harissa served on the side rather than mixed in. Shopping List Organized by where to buy each item. African Market Nice — 37 Route de Turin, 06300 Nice Open Tue–Sat 10h–19h30 (Fri closed 13h–15h), Mon 12h–19h30, Sun 10h–16h30.

• Ras el hanout, cumin, sweet & smoked paprika, ground coriander
• Harissa (jar or tube)
• Preserved lemons
• Dried dates (dessert fallback)
• Makroudh, chebakia, or other pastries — call ahead to check stock
• Orange blossom water
• Mint tea (gunpowder green tea)
• Feuilles de brick (bourek/brik pastry sheets), if in stock

Marché Provençal / Cours Saleya (mornings, closed Monday)

• Fresh fish — grouper or dorade, from a fishmonger stall (if not using Picard)
• Fresh mint, large bunch
• Vegetables: carrots, zucchini, turnips, fennel, tomatoes, onions
• Oranges, for the fennel-orange salad
• Olives and marinated vegetables
• Crusty bread or semoule bread
• Monday only: browse the antiques/flea market for a secondhand tagine dish

Picard (if buying fish frozen)

• Frozen monkfish or cod fillets, portioned for 4

Regular Grocery (Casino, Carrefour, etc.)

• Couscous (semoule)
• Roasted almonds
• Olive oil, extra lemons
• Dry Provençal rosé
• Sparkling water or a non-alcoholic option
• Ground coffee and cardamom pods, for after dinner

Preparation Timeline Worked backward from serving time, so the day of the party stays calm. 1–2 Days Before

• Buy dry goods and spices from African Market Nice
• Buy rosé and non-perishables from the regular grocery store
• If going the flea-market route, this is the window for a Monday Cours Saleya visit
• Make the zaalouk / chtitha (eggplant dip) — improves after a day in the fridge
• Make the carrot salad — also holds well
• If using frozen fish, buy it now and keep it in the freezer

Day Before

• Move frozen fish from freezer to fridge to thaw slowly overnight (skip if buying fresh)
• Prep fennel & orange salad components; store separately, dress just before serving
• Make the shlada (tomato-cucumber salad) — best made a few hours to a day ahead
• Chop vegetables for the tagine and the roasted vegetable side
• Mix the chermoula marinade; marinate the fish overnight if the recipe allows
• Set the table and put out decor — runner, candles, brass pieces

Day Of — Morning

• If buying fish fresh, go to Marché Provençal early
• Assemble bourek/brik rolls (don't fry yet); keep covered in the fridge
• Roast the vegetables for the side — reheat later
• Prep the couscous base — reheat with a splash of water/oil before serving
• Make the mint tea concentrate or have everything ready to brew fresh

Afternoon (3–4 Hours Before Guests Arrive)

• Light prep only — nothing that needs full attention
• Set out olives, almonds, preserved lemons in serving dishes
• Chill the rosé
• Confirm harissa is in its own small serving bowl

1.5–2 Hours Before Guests Arrive

• Start the tagine — gives it time to braise gently without rushing
• While it simmers: shower, change, take a breath

30–45 Minutes Before Guests Arrive

• Fry the bourek — best done just before serving so they're crisp
• Reheat couscous and roasted vegetables
• Dress the fennel-orange salad and shlada
• Light candles/incense, start the music (raï for arrival)

When Guests Arrive

• Bourek and olives out immediately as they settle in
• Brew and pour mint tea or lemonade
• Tagine finishes on low heat in the background — check once, then let it be

After the Meal

• Cardamom coffee or a second round of mint tea
• Dessert plated — no cooking required if bought at African Market NiceAlgerian Fish Tagine Dinner

A Planning Guide for Four — Casual & Relaxed Menu at a Glance

• Appetizers: bourek pastries, zaalouk, shlada, carrot salad, olives & preserved lemons
• Main: Algerian-style fish tagine (grouper, monkfish, or dorade)
• Sides: vegetable couscous, ras el hanout roasted vegetables, fennel & orange salad
• Beverages: mint tea, orange blossom lemonade, Provençal rosé, cardamom coffee
• Dessert: makroudh, chebakia, or dates from African Market Nice

Fish Notes Traditional choice: grouper (mérou), firm and classic for Maghrebi tagines. Easiest to work with: monkfish (lotte) — very firm, forgiving, freezes and thaws well. Widely available: sea bream (dorade), hake (merlu), or cod (cabillaud). Picard is a perfectly good source for monkfish or cod fillets if you want a stress-free, pre-portioned option. For a more special-occasion presentation, buy grouper or dorade fresh from a fishmonger at Marché Provençal. Ambiance Music: Algerian raï (Cheb Khaled, Cheb Mami, Rachid Taha) for arrival and after dinner; chaâbi or Andalusian-influenced malouf as a mellower backdrop during the meal. Decor: low warm lighting (candles, lanterns), a patterned kilim-style table runner, brass or copper serving pieces, fresh mint and citrus as a simple centerpiece, incense or bakhoor lit before guests arrive. Don't forget: a bread basket, a small bowl for olive pits, a lemon or rose-petal water bowl for rinsing fingers, and harissa served on the side rather than mixed in. Shopping List Organized by where to buy each item. African Market Nice — 37 Route de Turin, 06300 Nice Open Tue–Sat 10h–19h30 (Fri closed 13h–15h), Mon 12h–19h30, Sun 10h–16h30.

• Ras el hanout, cumin, sweet & smoked paprika, ground coriander
• Harissa (jar or tube)
• Preserved lemons
• Dried dates (dessert fallback)
• Makroudh, chebakia, or other pastries — call ahead to check stock
• Orange blossom water
• Mint tea (gunpowder green tea)
• Feuilles de brick (bourek/brik pastry sheets), if in stock

Marché Provençal / Cours Saleya (mornings, closed Monday)

• Fresh fish — grouper or dorade, from a fishmonger stall (if not using Picard)
• Fresh mint, large bunch
• Vegetables: carrots, zucchini, turnips, fennel, tomatoes, onions
• Oranges, for the fennel-orange salad
• Olives and marinated vegetables
• Crusty bread or semoule bread
• Monday only: browse the antiques/flea market for a secondhand tagine dish

Picard (if buying fish frozen)

• Frozen monkfish or cod fillets, portioned for 4

Regular Grocery (Casino, Carrefour, etc.)

• Couscous (semoule)
• Roasted almonds
• Olive oil, extra lemons
• Dry Provençal rosé
• Sparkling water or a non-alcoholic option
• Ground coffee and cardamom pods, for after dinner

Preparation Timeline Worked backward from serving time, so the day of the party stays calm. 1–2 Days Before

• Buy dry goods and spices from African Market Nice
• Buy rosé and non-perishables from the regular grocery store
• If going the flea-market route, this is the window for a Monday Cours Saleya visit
• Make the zaalouk / chtitha (eggplant dip) — improves after a day in the fridge
• Make the carrot salad — also holds well
• If using frozen fish, buy it now and keep it in the freezer

Day Before

• Move frozen fish from freezer to fridge to thaw slowly overnight (skip if buying fresh)
• Prep fennel & orange salad components; store separately, dress just before serving
• Make the shlada (tomato-cucumber salad) — best made a few hours to a day ahead
• Chop vegetables for the tagine and the roasted vegetable side
• Mix the chermoula marinade; marinate the fish overnight if the recipe allows
• Set the table and put out decor — runner, candles, brass pieces

Day Of — Morning

• If buying fish fresh, go to Marché Provençal early
• Assemble bourek/brik rolls (don't fry yet); keep covered in the fridge
• Roast the vegetables for the side — reheat later
• Prep the couscous base — reheat with a splash of water/oil before serving
• Make the mint tea concentrate or have everything ready to brew fresh

Afternoon (3–4 Hours Before Guests Arrive)

• Light prep only — nothing that needs full attention
• Set out olives, almonds, preserved lemons in serving dishes
• Chill the rosé
• Confirm harissa is in its own small serving bowl

1.5–2 Hours Before Guests Arrive

• Start the tagine — gives it time to braise gently without rushing
• While it simmers: shower, change, take a breath

30–45 Minutes Before Guests Arrive

• Fry the bourek — best done just before serving so they're crisp
• Reheat couscous and roasted vegetables
• Dress the fennel-orange salad and shlada
• Light candles/incense, start the music (raï for arrival)

When Guests Arrive

• Bourek and olives out immediately as they settle in
• Brew and pour mint tea or lemonade
• Tagine finishes on low heat in the background — check once, then let it be

After the Meal

• Cardamom coffee or a second round of mint tea
• Dessert plated — no cooking required if bought at African Market Nice