North African Merguez Recipes

NORTH AFRICAN PAELLA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, roasted red pepper, and garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salmon fillet, and merguez sausage; cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour 2 1/2 cups broth and white wine into the pot. Season stew with cumin, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in shrimp; simmer until opaque, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add mussels; cover and let stand until mussels open, about 5 minutes.
• Bring remaining 3 1/2 cups broth to a boil in a separate pot. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat and let stand until couscous absorbs broth, about 5 minutes.
• Serve couscous in shallow bowls; ladle stew on top.

MERGUEZ MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Toast cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Use a mortar and pestle to grind finely.
• Combine the ground spices, lamb, harissa, garlic, salt, and paprika in a large bowl. Mix by hand until thoroughly blended. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes so spices can permeate the meat.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Form the lamb mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place on the prepared sheet.
• Roast meatballs until the centers are no longer pink, 11 to 12 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read at least 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).

HOMEMADE MERGUEZ SAUSAGE RECIPE

Steps:

• Place cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds in a cast iron skillet over medium heat and toast until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder and grind into a fine powder. Transfer spice mixture to a small bowl and mix in paprika, salt, and cayenne.
• Place lamb and fat in a large bowl. Add in spice mixture, garlic, and harissa. Toss to thoroughly coat meat and fat in spices. Refrigerate until chilled, about 20 minutes.
• Grind mixture through a meat grinder, fitted with small die, into a medium bowl set into a large bowl filled with ice.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix ground meat on low speed for 1 minute. Add in water and mix until liquid is incorporated and sausage is uniform and sticky, about 1 minute more.
• Form a small sausage patty; place rest of sausage mixture in refrigerator. Cook patty in a small frying pan over medium-high heat until cooked through. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
• Stuff sausage into lamb casings and twist into 6-inch links. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
• Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate . Grill over medium-high direct heat until sausage registers 155°F when an instant read thermometer is inserted in middle of link. Remove from grill, let rest for 5 minutes, and serve.

MOROCCAN MERGUEZ SAUSAGE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except sausage casings (if using) in a large bowl.
• Knead 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 mixture into sausage casings.
• For the best flavor, allow the merguez to sit for 30 minutes or longer in the refrigerator before cooking.
• Place on grill or under broiler until cooked through and meat registers temperature of 155 F with meat thermometer.

LAMB MERGUEZ - (NORTH AFRICAN RED SAUSAGE)

Steps:

• Combine the spice mix ingredients and grind fine using a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. The extra can be stored in a glass jar.
• Using a mixer, combine all the sausage ingredients. Add the ice water, a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is well combined. Form a little patty and cook it off, taste and adjust the seasoning as you see fit. Cover and chill overnight (for best flavor), or at least an hour.
• If making patties, dip your hands in ice water as you form them. This mixture will also make one large stuffed casing coil. Chill the patties or coil again if you are not going to cook right away.
• Grill for 10-12 minutes, total, turning once.

NORTH AFRICAN MERGUEZ

Steps:

• 1. In a small skillet over medium heat, add cumin coriande and fennel seeds; toast until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let the seeds cool off for 15 minutes before transferring into a spice grinder; grind to a fine powder. Transfer spice mixture to a small bowl and mix ras el hanout, paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, harissa and garlic; mix until well blended.
• 2. In a mixing bowl, combine lamb (directly from fridge) and spice mixture. Spread tomato paste on top and quickly mix with hands. Cover meat tightly with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
• 3. Next day, make patties or sausage. If making sausage, soak casing in cold water for 30 minutes and rinse throroughly. Lightly lubricate a small sausage nozzle with grapeseed oil. Pull casing over and leave about 2-inches overhanging at the end; make a knot. Proceed with sausage making and when done, twist into 6-inch links and burst bubbles with a toothpick or sausage pricker.
• 4. To view this recipe on YouTube, click on this link >>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl1K9cYimWM

NORTH AFRICAN LAMB SAUSAGES MERGUEZ

Steps:

• Mix ground lamb, salt, cumin, pepper, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, pomegranate juice, garlic, ginger, and thyme together.
• Can be placed in lamb casings.