Merguez

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g boneless lamb shoulder(s), medium-finely chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• e.g. water (a few tbsp for the right consistency)
• 10 medium-sized garlic cloves
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 tsp harissa
• 1 pinch of coriander, ground
• 1 pinch of ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp spice mix (Ras-el Hanout)
• 1 tsp, crushed paprika powder, sweet
• n. B. Pfeffer
• e.g. sea salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes

Lamb sausage

Merguez rolls – spicy lamb sausage from Morocco. A must for French barbecues, also possible with beef. Mix the ground lamb (preferably freshly minced) with all the other ingredients, season to taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary. If it’s still too thick, thin the mixture with a little water. Cover the meat mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours to allow the seasonings to penetrate. Roll the rolls with moistened hands – like a cevapcici. Grill or fry for about 6-10 minutes. The merguez rolls can turn a little dark brown to black; that’s when they taste best. Tip: Replace 50% ground lamb with 50% ground beef. The quantities given are guidelines only. Merguez originates from Morocco and is very popular in France today. It should be spicy. If you prefer more spice, you can also use more harissa (I use up to 4 teaspoons). Rosemary, cinnamon, mint, and tomato paste can also be incorporated. This may not be an original recipe, but it’s still delicious. With the right equipment, you can also stuff the meat mixture into lamb casings. Don’t skimp on the fat! The merguez should contain at least 20% fat, otherwise it will be dry. When frying or grilling in the natural casing, pierce the sausages several times. Ras-el-Hanout—translated as “best of the shop”—is the Moroccan “curry” and consists of cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, grated nutmeg, cardamom seeds, cloves, and ginger powder, among other ingredients. A recipe for this can be found in the database.