Gralehouse Lamb Merguez Sausage Recipes

LAMB OR GOAT MERGUEZ SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Combine the ground lamb with the harissa, the paprika and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, and blend on low speed until tacky, about 2 minutes, drizzling in the red wine vinegar as it blends. You can also wear gloves and mash the meat around with your hands if you don't have a mixer.
• Cook a small piece of the sausage and taste to see if you like the heat/spiciness, adjust as needed, traditionally merguez is very spicy. I like to chill the sausage overnight before cooking, but it can be cooked straight away in a pinch.
• From here, the sausages can be formed into hand rolled sausages and cooked, or put into sheep casings, which is more traditional. When cooking the sausages, brown them well on high heat quickly, but don't overcook as they're best eaten pink or medium rare.
• Serve the merguez with rice, cooked greens, as part of a mixed grill, or a lunch as pictured here with fresh butter lettuce, winter radishes, greek yogurt with a sprinkle of sumac and quinoa with crunchy walnuts.

LAMB MERGUEZ SAUSAGE PATTIES

Steps:

• Combine salt and fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle and pound until fine. Stir cumin, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, and garlic cloves into the salt mixture and continue grinding to form a thick paste. Stir in harissa sauce and tomato paste until combined.
• Combine ground lamb and the spice paste together with a fork in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Form sausage into patties. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties until no longer pink inside, 5 to 8 minutes per side, depending on the size of the patties.

GRALEHAUS LAMB AND GRITS

Steps:

• For the lamb merguez: In a bowl, mix together the lamb belly and pork shoulder, paprika, curing salt, salt, harissa, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, cilantro, mint, garlic and onion. Feed the mixture through a meat grinder fitted with the larger grinder blade. Form into 5 1/2-ounce balls and flatten into tight 5-inch round patties. Vacuum seal in bags. Cook in the immersion circulator at 145 degrees F for 1 hour (or place the patties on baking sheets and cook for 18 minutes at 425 degrees F).
• For the grits: Bring the butter, milk and 7 cups water to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add the grits and cook, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer until cooked through. Add the Cheddar, hot sauce and salt to taste.
• Serve the merguez with the grits.

CLASSIC FRENCH MERGUEZ RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Toast cumin, fennel, and coriander seeds in a dry skillet set over medium heat, constantly stirring, for about 2 minutes, until they become fragrant. Be very careful not to overcook, and worst still, burn the spices.
• Once toasted, allow seeds to cool and process them in a spice grinder.
• Add toasted, ground seeds to paprika, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon.
• Place ground lamb in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle spice mixture, chopped herbs, crushed garlic, and salt over meat. Mix seasonings into meat.
• The seasoned meat can then be either formed into patties, the size and shape of your choice, or, fill bought sausage casings with lamb mixture. For this, you will need a sausage stuffer attachment often sold for stand mixers , or a stuffing machine.
• Once made, chill before using.
• Cook patties or sausages or simply fry until cooked through.
• Serve stuffed into a bun, pita, or slice and serve in Middle Eastern flatbreads.

ALGERIAN LAMB SAUSAGE MERGUEZ

Steps:

• Grind the lamb, fat from the lamb kidney (do not add the kidney) and garlic with the medium size holes of the grinder, ¼ inch in diameter. Add all the remaining ingredients, including the water, but not the casing. Test the mixture at this stage by preparing a miniature patty and frying it in a teaspoon of oil in a skillet. Should it need salt, it can be added at this time.
• Tie one end of the casing tightly to hold the filling. Fill the casing with the lamb mixture, twisting it around every 4 inches to make individual sausages.
• The merguez can be eaten in various ways the next day. The simple method of cooking is to fry them in hot vegetable oil until brown and crisp. Very little oil is needed since the sausage contains lamb fat. Serve warm. Makes about 10 to 12 sausages.
• NOTE: Algerians often prepare merguez with the cheaper cuts of lamb, especially the scraps left over from trimming the more expensive parts. You don't have to do this since the meaty leg of the lamb is an ideal cut that can be used.
• Sumac is that rare Mediterranean and Middle East seasoning that was used at one time as a salt substitute. The dried reddish crushed powder has a lemon/salt flavor and is used in meat and chicken dishes. It adds an important flavor to Algerian merguez.
• The Great Book Of Couscous.

GRILLED MERGUEZ WITH HERBED COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Place couscous, oil, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Add 3 cups boiling water, cover with plastic, and let stand 5 minutes. Remove plastic, fluff couscous with a fork, and let cool 15 minutes. Add chopped herbs, tossing to combine; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter.
• Preheat grill for direct-heat cooking (medium-high on a gas grill). Brush grates with oil. Grill sausages, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to platter with couscous. Drizzle with oil and scatter with herb leaves; serve.

FRENCH MERGUEZ SAUSAGES - CULINARY COMMUNION

Steps:

• Marinate: toss the lamb, fatback, and dry seasonings together, then chill well (at least 2 hours).
• Grind: grind meat mixture through grinder using a medium plate (1/4-inch) into a mixing bowl over an ice bath.
• Mix and develop protein: in an electric mixer, mix on low speed for 1 minute, adding the red wine a little at a time. Mix on medium speed for 15 to 20 seconds, or until the sausage mixture is sticky to the touch.
• Make a tester: make a test patty and pan fry. Adjust the seasoning and consistency if necessary before putting sausage into casings.
• Stuff: stuff the sausage into the prepared casings and twist into 15-inch links. Cut into individual links. Make a spiral with each link and secure with a 6-inch skewer.
• Cook: the sausage is now ready to prepare for eating by pan frying, baking, grilling, or broiling to an internal temperature of 150 degrees F, or hold under refrigeration for up to 7 days.
• Notes: regarding the links -- we don't make the 15-inch links, we make links about 4 inches long, twisting them into link-shape as we're filling the casings. It's up to you, of course, how you make them. These sausages are absolutely delicious, and I hope you'll try the recipe! The recipe appear to definitely be a French version of Merguez, rather than the Turnisian version -- all I know is that they're very, very tasty. :).

GRALEHOUSE LAMB MERGUEZ SAUSAGE

Steps:

• For the lamb merguez: In a bowl, mix together the lamb belly and pork shoulder, paprika, curing salt, salt, harissa, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, cilantro, mint, garlic and onion
• Feed the mixture through a meat grinder fitted with the larger grinder blade.
• Form into 5 1/2-ounce balls and flatten into tight 5-inch round patties.
• Vacuum seal in bags.
• Cook in the immersion circulator at 145 degrees F for 1 hour (or place the patties on baking sheets and cook for 18 minutes at 425 degrees F).
• Brown the sausage in a lightly oiled frying pan.
• Serve with Gralehouse grits.