Recipes With Merguez Sausage

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.

SPICY MERGUEZ WITH SPINACH AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Cook's Note: For television, Daniel Boulud substituted dried chick peas for the cannellini peas.
• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a wide cast-iron pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add the spinach, little by little, and cook, stirring continuously, until all the spinach has wilted and browned slightly and all the liquid has evaporated, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Add the onions, garlic, mint, cilantro, harissa (or cayenne), black pepper, and Four-Spice Powder and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
• Pour in 4 cups water and add the cannellini beans (or black-eyed peas). Stir, bring to a simmer, and cover. Braise in the oven for 2 hours, or until the beans are nearly tender.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sear the merguez on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.
• Stir the lemon juice into the beans and place the seared merguez on top. Cover and continue to braise until the beans are tender and the sausage is cooked through, about 30 minutes more. Season with salt to taste.
• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.
• In a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder, finely grind the cloves and black pepper together. Transfer to a bowl and combine with the nutmeg and ginger.

MERGUEZ SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Put the lamb in a mixing bowl and add the ingredients up to and including the minced garlic. Blend the mixture thoroughly by hand. To test the sausage for seasoning, shape a small portion into a patty. Cook the patty in a lightly-oiled skillet and season to taste.
• Shape the mixture into eight equal balls then flatten each into a patty.
• Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and add the patties. You may do this in two batches, depending on the skillet size. Cook the patties for 8 minutes, turning when necessary. Drain on paper towels.

MERGUEZ BEANPOT

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan, add the sausages and fry until browned. Add the onions and pepper, and fry for 5 mins until softened. Add the tomatoes and 1 can of water, the Worcestershire sauce, mustard and sugar. Season and bring to the boil. Give it a stir, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 mins.
• Stir in the beans, return to a simmer and cook for a further 5 mins. Scatter with parsley or coriander and serve in bowls with tortillas.

MERGUEZ BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat until simmering. Add pancetta and cook, stirring often, until fat has rendered, 10 to 12 minutes. Add carrot, onion, and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Add ground beef and merguez sausage and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring to break meat into small pieces, until browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain excess fat as needed.
• Add Chianti and cook until liquid has almost evaporated. Reduce heat to medium and stir in tomato paste. Cook until sauce turns dark red, 3 to 5 minutes. Add enough milk to barely cover the meat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until milk has evaporated and the mixture turns into a thick rich sauce, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Adjust salt and pepper, if necessary.

HOMEMADE MERGUEZ SAUSAGE

Steps:

• In a cast-iron skillet over low heat, toast cumin, coriander seeds and fennel seeds until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer warm spices to a spice grinder or use a mortar and pestle to pound them until fine. Combine with the paprika and cayenne pepper; set aside.
• In the bowl mix together the ground lamb with the spices, cilantro and salt. Pinch off a little of the mixture, form into a patty and brush with olive oil. Fry in a hot skillet to check the seasonings. Adjust the seasonings, if necessary.
• Form sausages into patties to cook immediately or for storing in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Note: 1. Chill for up to 5 days, freeze for up to 3 months or use immediately. 2. Brush sausages with olive oil and fry, grill or broil until browned and cooked through.

TAGINE OF LAMB & MERGUEZ SAUSAGES

Steps:

• For the marinade, roast the spices in a dry pan for a couple mins until fragrant. Put remaining marinade ingredients in a blender and process to a smooth paste, then add the roast spices and blend again to combine. Place the lamb in a large bowl and pour over the marinade. Leave in the paste overnight, or for at least 2 hrs to absorb all the flavours.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. In a large roasting tin, big enough to fit the meat in one single layer, heat the oil and place over a high heat on the hob. Remove the meat from the marinade, wiping off and reserving any excess, then brown shanks on all sides in the hot oil.
• Add remaining marinade to the dish along with the carrots, onions and prunes, then pour in 1 litre water. Cover the dish tightly with foil and cook in a low oven for 3½-4 hrs until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone. Add the honey, lemon juice and seasoning and keep warm.
• If using, fry the sausages until cooked through, then add to the tagine. Serve the meat in a large bowl with the sauce spooned over, then scatter with the preserved lemons and mint, and serve the harissa on the side.

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.

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.

HOMEMADE MERGUEZ

Steps:

• In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast cumin, coriander and fennel seeds until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer warm spices to a spice grinder and grind well, or use a mortar and pestle and pound seeds.
• In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Form lamb mixture into desired shape (1-inch-thick by 5-inch-long cigars make nice merguez, but fatter cylinders or patties will also work). Chill for up to 5 days, freeze for up to 3 months, or use immediately.
• Brush sausages with oil and grill or broil them until browned and cooked through. Or fry them in a little oil until well browned all over. Serve with more cilantro and harissa on the side, if desired.