These traditional North African lamb sausages are warmly spiced with Tunisian harissa and earthy spices. Grilled then sandwiched inside a crusty baguette, you'll soon be addicted to them!
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“You’re not a real Algerian until you’ve had a merguez sandwich stuffed with frites.”
Well, that's what my husband told when we moved to Algeria. Merguez are practically an institution in North African. It has an almost cult-like following it's so popular. There is an entire culture dedicated to merguez making and eating. I'm really serious! And merguez are even showing up posh restaurants in New York and London. What is merguez you may be asking? Well, merguez are little spicy sausages that are popular all over North Africa as a quick fast food snack or even as part of a meal at home. They're served plain just eaten with the fingers dipped in Harissa or mayo, with couscous, in sandwiches, with eggs or even stuffed into Algerian savory pastries called bourek.
But merguez is not your everyday kind of sausage. Typical in North Africa, this sausage was very special, even exotic to some. It's a sausage that is usually made with lamb and is enlivened with plenty of spices and a hefty dose of fiery Tunisian harissa (hot chile paste). Traditionally stuffed into sheep casing to form links, but they can be cooked as free form links, as patties or crumbles as well . Merguez, it's just delicious. When made right.
North Africa being at the crossroads of many different cultures, you'll find a panoply of flavors from West Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and even America, the "New World". All these cuisines helped enrich the diversity of the North African cuisine and use of spices. Merguez is just one prime example of the fusion of flavors found in North Africa.
We ate quite a lot of homemade charcuterie when I was younger. My family have a small farm where they raise their own livestock and garden. The family would have a slaughter in the early Autumn, and sausage, ham and bacon making was a part of our traditions. They were a part of my childhood. But after reverting to Islam, all that went out the door. No more pork! So more bacon, ham, sausage. Nothing! It was a few years I didn't even think about them, even totally digusted by the thought of eating anything that reminded me of pork. Then I suddenly became obessed with charcuterie ... sausages to be exact. So I set to find non-pork sausages (and bacon) only to discover that most often non-pork charcuterie was either stuffed into pork casings or had pork fat added to them. So as a Muslim I couldn't eat them. It was quite a few years I moved to the States I found such joys as halal beef bacon and hot links. That made me happy. Real happy.
Then fast forward another few years, I moved again, this time to Algeria, I thought had hit the motherload. Thinking as a Muslim country, Algeria would have similar selection as Turkey well I was kinda disappointed. Sampling the slim pickings I could get my hands on here I found them very substandard unfortunately. Well that was unil I came upon merguez. It's really my favorite now! If you've ever tasted them you'll know what I mean!
Then fast forward another few years, I moved again, this time to Algeria, I thought had hit the motherload. Thinking as a Muslim country, Algeria would have similar selection as Turkey well I was kinda disappointed. Sampling the slim pickings I could get my hands on here I found them very substandard unfortunately. Well that was unil I came upon merguez. It's really my favorite now! If you've ever tasted them you'll know what I mean!
I mentioned above that merguez is delicious - when made right. There are many merguez shops in Algeria, and even maybe some where you live. But there are some factors that either make or break a merguez. Fat and Spices. If there's one thing that makes a sausage great, it's the fat. And merguez is no exception. But in the case of merguez, adding the right fat in thr right amounts makes it delicious. Adding too much will only yield you a greasy unpleasant sausage that turns into grease covered dry sawdust after cooking. Adding too little fat again, very dry and tasteless sausage. Lamb fat, like lamb, has a stronger flavor than other types of fat so it's a good idea to use beef fat to the "lamby" taste. It makes for a much milder and palatable sausage.
And while meat and fat can be tasty, they are just better with the right combination of spices. Combing spicy Tunisian authentic harissa with earthy spices makes for a very pungent flavor that can easily stand up against the "heavy flavor" of the lamb. This merguez happened to be one of my favorite sausage seasonings so far. The spicy Tunisian harissa with earthy cumin, coriander, galangal, fennel and paprika is just magical. The seasoning mixture was pungent with a strong spice, allowing it to stand up against the heavy flavor of the lamb shoulder. None of that fake "red coloring" or low grade harissa that tastes bitter. No no! Like the fat, the seasonings need to be in a prefect harmony also. And oh yeah, make sure you use quality (halal) meat.
This recipe is small batch. No need to make tons of this stuff ... unless you really want to. And if using beef (not lamb) you probably already have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now. You can make these using halal lamb casings (if you have some) or if not, just roll them free-form into logs, form into patties or alternatively just use as a bulk sausage crumbles. It's delicious anyway you make them.
Also to note, I like to use fresh whole spices that I toast then grind myself for deeper richer taste. You can certainly use already ground spices if you like. My neighbor, the local butcher in our neighborhood uses galangal in their house recipe. I've made the recipe with and without. I think I prefer it with. We can easily find dried galangal sold in the spice markets here in Algeria, but if you don't have galangal where you live use ginger instead. Also I've used both beef and lamb fat here. You can optionally use all lamb fat for a more "lamby" taste and much more greasier merguez. Or use all beef for a milder taste with less greasy feel in the mouth.
This recipe is small batch. No need to make tons of this stuff ... unless you really want to. And if using beef (not lamb) you probably already have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now. You can make these using halal lamb casings (if you have some) or if not, just roll them free-form into logs, form into patties or alternatively just use as a bulk sausage crumbles. It's delicious anyway you make them.
Also to note, I like to use fresh whole spices that I toast then grind myself for deeper richer taste. You can certainly use already ground spices if you like. My neighbor, the local butcher in our neighborhood uses galangal in their house recipe. I've made the recipe with and without. I think I prefer it with. We can easily find dried galangal sold in the spice markets here in Algeria, but if you don't have galangal where you live use ginger instead. Also I've used both beef and lamb fat here. You can optionally use all lamb fat for a more "lamby" taste and much more greasier merguez. Or use all beef for a milder taste with less greasy feel in the mouth.
So with Eid al Adha coming up I know you will be making some merguez! Stuffing into some warmed crusty baguettes and chowing down!
Recipe for my favorite merguez sandwich is coming so stay tuned in for that!
As-Salaamu Alaykum,
ReplyDeleteBaarak Allahu Feeki I'm very impressed you make your own merguez! I have to say i'm surprised by the galangal I never thought north Africa used that spice, you learn something new everyday :)