Fez — Chicago-based food content creator Dave Patera has brought northern Moroccan cuisine to “MasterChef USA,” presenting an anchovy tagra as a tribute to his family’s North African roots.

Patera appeared on season 16 of the FOX cooking competition, titled “MasterChef: Global Gauntlet.” The season places contestants in a culture-focused format, with amateur cooks presenting dishes tied to their heritage before judges Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Tiffany Derry.

In the audition exchange, Ramsay asked Patera where the dish came from. “I’m preparing today the tagra, which is a dish that hails from the north of Morocco,” he answered, adding that the choice was personal, saying it was “a great way to get back in touch with my roots.”

A Moroccan dish with family memory

Tagra is closely associated with northern Morocco, where the term refers to both a clay cooking vessel and the seafood dishes often prepared in it. Patera’s version used anchovies and Moroccan chermoula, a sauce built around herbs and spices.

When Ramsay asked how he would bring in the spice, Patera explained that he had adapted the traditional method to fit the competition’s time limits.

“Typically it’s made with sliced tomatoes, but I was a little concerned with the amount of time we had,” he said. “So I condensed it into a tomato sauce with those same chermoula spices, the cumin, the paprika, the fresh herbs.”

Patera has built an online audience through Moroccan and Maghrebi cooking, describing his work as “cooking my way across the Maghreb” on his public food page. 

Honoring a grandmother’s journey

Patera also used the moment to speak about his grandmother’s immigration story. When Ramsay asked why he chose to compete through culture and heritage, Patera pointed to a family photo.

“My grandmother, here she is on the boat from North Africa, making her immigration journey to Chicago,” he told the judges.

When Ramsay asked whether the photo dated to 1914, Patera corrected him: “1945. It was immediately post-World War II.”

He explained that his grandmother married an Italian-American soldier who had been stationed in North Africa. Ramsay responded warmly, telling him: “Well, listen, do grandma justice.”

Patera did exactly that. His anchovy tagra earned him a white apron and a place in the next stage of the competition. He later described the dish online as “anchovy tagra with Moroccan chermoula sauce,” marking the moment as one of pride for his family and for the cuisine he chose to represent.