Spicy Lamb Merguez Sausage

Spicy Lamb Merguez Sausage

 Our neighbor, Mary Paul LeCler made us a fabulous  dinner with home-made Lamb Merguez  Sausages last night.  It was so delicious I had to share the recipe.

These spicy North African sausages are popular in Morocco, where they're served plain, with couscous, in sandwiches, with eggs or stuffed into pastries. They can be made from ground lamb, ground beef, or a mixture of the two.

In Morocco one can buy fresh merguez in thin 3" links. When making merguez at home, you can opt to feed the mixture into sausage casings or simply shape the mixture into patties or cylinders. You'll want to first have   Merguez Spice Mix and  Harissa  on hand.

Step 1: Prepare Merguez Spice Mix

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons ground fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• -------------------------
• 4 teaspoons powdered sugar (optional)

Measure all ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine. Sift once, stir again and transfer to an airtight container for storage up to six months.

Step 2  Prepare Harissa  Seasoning

Tunisian in origin, harissa  is a delicious chili pepper condiment now accepted as part of Moroccan cuisine. Dried red chili peppers are ground to a paste with garlic and spices. Lemon juice and olive oil are used to moisten and thin the paste. Some Moroccan recipes also include tomato paste or puree.
You can use a small processor or blender to make harissa, but I think this quantity is easiest made in a mortar and pestle. Add harissa directly to a dish as it's cooking, or offer it on the side.
Yields 3 tablespoons.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 12 to 15 dried red chili peppers (approx. 1 1/2 oz. or 100 g)
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground caraway seeds (optional)
• 2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• olive oil

Remove the seeds from the dried chili peppers and place them in a bowl. Cover them with very hot water and leave to soften for 30 minutes to an hour.
Drain the chili peppers, and gently squeeze out excess water with a paper towel. Using a mortar and pestle (or a blender or mini food processor) grind the chili peppers, garlic, salt and spices to a paste. Add the lemon juice and just enough olive oil to moisten the harissa, or add additional olive oil to thin it.
Store unused harissa in an airtight container in the fridge. For long storage, lightly top the harissa with a little oil before covering.

 Step 3 Make Merguez Sausages

As with any sausage, fat is key to flavor and texture. Try not to skimp too much if you feel the need to adjust the recipe.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. (500 g) ground beef or lamb
• 4 oz. (120 g) ground or finely chopped fat
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
• 2 tablespoons merguez spice mix ( see above)
• 2 to 3 teaspoons harrisa  ( see above)
• ---------------------------
• sausage casings, optional

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, kneading the mixture well to evenly distribute the spices, herbs and harissa. Shape as desired. (Alternatively, you can pass the ingredients through a meat grinder and feed the merguez into sausage casings.)For best flavor, allow the merguez to sit for 30 minutes (or longer in the fridge) before cooking.