It’s been a few years since I’ve written about tagines, which is the name for those spicy, aromatic stews of North African and the cone-shaped, knob-handled cooking vessels in which they are cooked.

My Le Creuset Moroccan tagine has served me well, but no more so than this week, when time was short, and I needed to put together a meal in less than 30 minutes. So, staring down a perfect filet of flounder, and pulling out a little of this and little of that from both the pantry and the refrigerator, a rather delicious, if not colorful meal, was ready in nothing flat.

More South American than North African in flavor, the easy fish tagine featured here, made with coconut milk, sweet bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and cilantro, may be made with just about any kind of boneless fish fillet, as well as other kinds of seafood, such as scallops, shrimp, even clams or mussels, if you like. The dish is nice served with rice, but couscous works well, too, especially when it’s been enriched with coconut milk and coconut water.

A good tagine cooking vessel is not an inexpensive purchase, but in exchange for its cost, you’ll be getting years of service and motivation sufficient to create globally-inspired meals for some time to come.

Sue Ade is a syndicated food columnist with broad experience and interests in the culinary arts. She has resided and worked in the lowcountry of South Carolina since 1985 and may be reached at kitchenade@yahoo.com.

As a side dish for Brazilian Fish Tagine, spoon couscous over the tagine sauce.

The base of a tagine is used for cooking the vegetables and sauce for Brazilian Fish Tagine, while the cone-shaped lid generates circulating steam, promoting flavor – and perfectly cooked fish.

The word “tagine” refers to both the cooking vessel (left) and the stews that are cooked in them. Although the highly-seasoned cuisines of North Africa, particularly Morocco, come to mind as classic tagine fare, the Brazilian Fish Tagine, right, splendid with the flavors of South America, proves just how adaptable a tagine can be. Source note: Enameled cast iron Moroccan tagine, with glazed earthenware cone-shaped lid, pictured in “kiwi” green, from Le Creuset, www.lecreuset.com.