Merguez is a North African spicy sausage. And by spicy I mean a sausage with a kick. A homemade version with lamb and harissa, the main flavoring, is a wonderful addition to the table. I use an Ottolenghi recipe as an inspiration.
Ground lamb is my choice today, but beef works as well. A jar of harissa from Trader Joes is waiting to be opened. I toast cumin, coriander and fennel seeds till fragrant. Ground to a coarse powder, they flavor the lamb, along with garlic, smoked paprika, chile powder and fresh breadcrumbs. Massage this blend into the lamb. Use gloves if you can, as your hands will turns bright red and oily. Form the meat into oval kebabs. Bake them in a hot oven on a sheet lined with foil. Watch out for oil. Lamb gives ob ff a lot of fat as it roasts.
I serve these kababs nestled in eggplant and lentils. You could serve them in pita pockets, drizzled with a tahini sauce or in buns as a spicy hotdog. Go to town!
MERGUEZ KABABS
Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi
Makes 15 palm sized kababs
1 pound ground Lamb or Beef
2 Garlic cloves
2 teaspoons Harissa paste
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 teaspoons Coriander seeds
2 teaspoons Fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 cup fresh Breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Place lamb in a bowl.
Grate garlic cloves into lamb.
Toast cumin, coriander and fennel seeds till fragrant. Cool and grind to a coarse powder. Add to lamb.
Add harissa, paprika, chile powder, cinnamon, olive oil, breadcrumbs and salt to lamb.
Mix well. Use gloves as your hands will get red and oily.
Keep lamb aside for an hour to let flavors develop.
Heat oven to 350F.
Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Form lamb into palm-sized oval kababs.
Bake for 20 minutes on one side. You will have a lot of oil on the baking sheet. Use a ladle to remove oil leaving 4-5 tablespoons.
Remove merguez kababs from the oven.
Serve with eggplant and lentils.
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