Make Ahead
Lamb Merguez
Popular on Food52
99 Reviews
Megha
January 3, 2014
This recipe is awesome! It is so simple and always a hit with everyone at the table. It is part of my regular rotation now, my favorite way to eat it is on top of a huge greek salad :D
AnnaBell
August 15, 2013
I screwed these up and they were still delicious. I spaced out and put in all the spice mixture instead of just one tablespoon. I also used some homemade, extra spicy harissa, so they were REALLY zippy. I served them with greek yogurt to tame the heat, and they were good enough that I went back for seconds. These will definitely go in the regular rotation.
ibbeachnana
July 13, 2013
Just after I ground the lamb I found that I didn't have enough coriander or cumin seeds, but I have new tins of ground cumin and coriander, can anyone recommend an amount of each ground spice for the spice blend?
BoulderGalinTokyo
February 6, 2013
Looking forward to trying these. Does the fat content in the ground lamb matter in the outcome?
Melissaiscooking
November 27, 2012
This was just fantastic! Just the right amount of spice. I was able to get all the spices in the bulk section at Whole Foods for quite a bargain. My husband, my son, and I all loved it. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Franca
October 30, 2012
We had this on Saturday and with a minor modification to the spice mix, this was delicious. I have an intense dislike to cumin therefore, I replaced it with ral el hanout & paprika.
Franca
October 30, 2012
We had this on Saturday day night. With minor modifications this was the best thing on the table. I have an intense dislike for cumin therefore replaced it with ras el hanout & paprika. Magnificent!
MrsWheelbarrow
October 30, 2012
I adore ras al hanout - what a great substitution - will have to give it a try
LizCo77
October 7, 2012
I just had this for breakfast and it truly is unbelievably good. Friday night I made the Harissa from TasteFood (awesome), let that sit overnight per the directions. Then Saturday made the Merguez from MrsWheelbarrow, let that sit overnight again, per the directions. This morning (Sunday), I put it all together here, and it totally blew our minds! Thank you so very much for this contribution!
MrsWheelbarrow
October 7, 2012
You're so welcome. I'm so glad you all liked it. Just this morning, at the farmer's market, I saw someone had lamb shoulder for sale - and was reminded that it's time for Merguez.
greatm31
May 16, 2012
I made this a few months ago, and it was AMAZING. I had leftover spice mix, and I wanted to use it for something new, so I made a little lamb+tomato+white bean stew and seasoned it heavily with the mix. DOUBLE AMAZING. The spices go so well with lamb and tomato flavors, it's so aromatic and complex. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
bella S.
July 5, 2011
This was really wonderful! I am so looking forward to having the Merguez again tonight. You really do need to let it sit for a day to let the flavors infuse. We made a sample patty the day that we ground the lamb and mixed everything together. I thought that I would need to up the seasoning when we were going to cook the sausage for dinner. The next day we cooked another sample, and we found that we did not need to add anything else. On recommendations here, I did go to Whole Foods to buy the harissa. I did not know have anything to compare it to, because I never had harissa to try on its own. They had 2 different brands at the Whole Foods that I went to. I bought Shiloh's Harissa. Is that the brand you folks liked?
MrsWheelbarrow
July 5, 2011
In DC, WF has a harissa from CAVA, a local company. I prefer a fresh harissa, as opposed to what is available in a can on in a tube.
Nadia H.
July 5, 2011
Glad you like the idea of sundried tomatoes. Please let me know how it comes out. - I'm curious - have you used the spice mix for other dishes?
Nadia H.
July 3, 2011
For years and years, I have been craving merguez like the ones my Tunisian grandmother made. But I never made them. The merguez recipe in Ommok Sannafa (the Tunisian equivalent of The Joy of Cooking) uses only garlic, fennel seeds, harissa and paprika and just didn’t convince me. But this recipe is a different story! Realizing that I had run out of tomato paste, I improvised with 2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes packed in oil from my own garden, which I chopped finely and ground with the other ingredients in the food processor. Unlike me, who grew up with spicy foods, my eaters here don’t like it too spicy, so I went easy on the cayenne, just a pinch. Also, I only had the very basic harissa, the type sold in small tin cans, of which I used 2 teaspoons. It did not matter, the test patty was fabulous. Boy, do I look forward to dinner tonight. Thank you MrsWheelbarrow!
ChefJune
July 3, 2011
I've saved this recipe. How awesome to know this is the "real deal" before purchasing all the ingredients and going to the trouble of making it. We love Merguez, and I'll be trying this soon.
MrsWheelbarrow
July 4, 2011
I love your swap of sundried tomatoes and just might do the same thing here!
clbeth
June 23, 2011
Took me a couple days to get all the ingredients but it was sooo worth it. This recipe is off the hook! I had a hard time stopping myself from eating it all after I made the first sample patty, okay I did make a second one. But I saved the rest to make the Moroccan Merguez Ragout with Poached Eggs and had one of the best breakfasts of my life. Thank you MrsWheelbarrow for introducing me to merguez!
MrsWheelbarrow
June 23, 2011
You're so welcome! Those eggs are so amazing!! Agreed! Glad you are a convert to merguez!
Kitchen B.
June 19, 2011
Just made this - swapped muhammara (a red pepper dip - see http://www.food52.com/recipes/6492_how_do_i_love_thee_muhammara) for the harissa, added 3 tablespoons of finely chopped coriander leaves, and a touch more aleppo pepper than the recipe called for and omitted the tomato paste. The 'test patty' was STUNNING - tender and tasty.
Thank you for helping me out of the 'sausages-are-difficult-to-make' boat. Though I feel as though I need to go further and learn to case!
Thank you for helping me out of the 'sausages-are-difficult-to-make' boat. Though I feel as though I need to go further and learn to case!
MrsWheelbarrow
June 19, 2011
So glad you got over your fears and gave the Merguez a whirl. What did you serve the sausages with? Next up casing, right? Check out my May 15 Charcutepalooza post for tips and tricks. I'm delighted you enjoyed the recipe mostly because I so enjoy all of yours!
Kitchen B.
June 23, 2011
With soft white bread.....especially for my husband/father's day brekkie. I plan on serving a batch of the other parties this weekend with a yogurt coriander chutney and some flatbread,,
annemax
June 23, 2011
Will you share your recipe for the yogurt coriander chutney? Sounds delicious!
Kitchen B.
June 23, 2011
Thanks Annemax, the coriander chutney is already on food52, see http://www.food52.com/recipes/6379_coriander_chutney; BTW the herb paste is great rubbed into mangoes, sweetcorn etc (sans yogurt). See http://www.food52.com/recipes/12532_spiced_simple_mango_slaw
creamtea
May 22, 2011
I made this for a luncheon yesterday and it was a big hit. Seasoned with Aleppo pepper instead of cayennne. Cooked it up as small patties to serve layered over a baby lettuce salad with grainy mustard vinaigrette and a room-temp lentil salad. One guest couldn't stop eating them! Fortunately there are 2 left over for a midnight nibble--don't tell.
Burnt O.
May 14, 2011
So glad to get a chance to try these at the potluck today - they are better than advertised!! Can't wait to make them for the meeting I'm catering. Thanks for bringing them, and it was delightful to meet you and the rest of the Food52 DC gang. What a great group of people!
annemax
May 13, 2011
This was a great recipe. The merguez came out great, I made them into links and then used the rest to make sliders with chevre: http://www.accidental-locavore.com/?p=721
stinkycheese
May 2, 2011
I just made this with lamb and harissa from my local halal butcher. He ground the lamb shoulder for me while I waited. It was a big hit. Thanks Mrs. W!
edamame2003
March 20, 2011
I saw this and thought it was a Charcutepalooza challenge. But even more excited to see that it's a food52 winner! i can't wait to try this.
monkeymom
March 18, 2011
So glad to see this great recipe picked! I have to say I've been greatly disappointed when I've tasted other merguez. This one has spoiled me forever! Congrats!
Linda's K.
March 17, 2011
Congratulations! I've been waiting for the Charcutepalooza sausage month because lamb merguez will be the first sausage I make. I love it! And our lamb meat comes from a friend! Sausage, I have to confess, is my "junk" food...it must have been that year in Germany.
Prairie Chef - ground elk is very dry. I always add fat to it, or ground pork with its fat.
Prairie Chef - ground elk is very dry. I always add fat to it, or ground pork with its fat.
smgrooms
March 17, 2011
Congratulations, this recipe makes my mouth water!
While I am new to "Charcuterie" techniques, I am learning as I am going. I learned to make sausage from my Spanish grandmother, recipes which I hold dear to this day. I am thrilled to find this site and your Merquez recipe which I will try!
While I am new to "Charcuterie" techniques, I am learning as I am going. I learned to make sausage from my Spanish grandmother, recipes which I hold dear to this day. I am thrilled to find this site and your Merquez recipe which I will try!
PrairieChef
March 17, 2011
Could ground elk be substituted for the lamb? Would additional fat need to be added?
MrsWheelbarrow
March 17, 2011
I just picked up some venison (fallow) which is very low in fat, and I will be making this next week... so I don't have answers yet, but I will check back after my experimentation! Lamb shoulder is quite lean, and that's what I like so much about this sausage recipe - it's very meaty, not fatty.
MrsWheelbarrow
April 24, 2011
I made the venison merguez recently and will add pork fat to the recipe the next time - ratio would be 3# venison to 1# pork back fat. WIthout the fat, it was delicious, but slightly dry, and wouldn't hold together. Please let us know how the elk turned out?
MrsWheelbarrow
March 16, 2011
Verklempt. Totally verklempt. Thank you A&M and all of you for the nice words. I'm so looking forward to hearing how you like making merguez. It was my gateway sausage... the first I made on my own after taking a class, and a staple, now. Having some merguez in the freezer is my secret weapon for quick lunches or fast appetizers.
fiveandspice
March 16, 2011
Oh WOW! I am so excited about this! Definitely making this to go with eggs. Congrats on the wildcard.
ChefJune
March 16, 2011
WOW! I am DEFinitely going to make this. My FPTCF loves lamb, and I've been dying to make sausage.
hardlikearmour
March 16, 2011
Congrats! One of my friends just started into the adventures of sausage making, so I've sent him a link to your recipe. With any luck he'll make some and invite me to dinner.
Burnt O.
March 16, 2011
Congrats!! I may not be quite ready to make my own sausage, but I bet this would be great fried up with a can of fire roasted tomatoes, some eggplant and poured over pasta or couscous.
monkeymom
April 12, 2010
I made sausage! Didn't do the casings. I loved these, they were so tasty. I did make an addition of pine nuts following SueVT's recipe from her blog as well. I think I'll have to try turkey/chicken next time as lamb is more challenging to my husband. Thanks for the inspiration to try something very new.
MrsWheelbarrow
April 12, 2010
WooHoo!! I'm so delighted I've turned you into a sausage-maker. I'm adding pine nuts the next time, too.
Lizthechef
March 24, 2010
OK, this will be my first try at sausage - a big step in my cooking...Everyone seems to add some great tips to your wonderful recipe.
WinnieAb
March 24, 2010
You're proficient in charcuterie too? Is there anything you can't do?
I love all these spices and very much want to give this a try, but I am actually not a lamb fan...could I make this with another meat? Or is it always made with lamb?
I love all these spices and very much want to give this a try, but I am actually not a lamb fan...could I make this with another meat? Or is it always made with lamb?
MrsWheelbarrow
March 24, 2010
Haha Winnie! Well, I can't play tennis. At all. As for charcuterie, I took a wonderful class last fall and have been obsessed ever since. Merguez is traditionally made with lamb. More specifically, it's made without added fat, so it's the leanest sausage I know. I did try making it with goat and thought it was great. Not sure about other meats.
MrsWheelbarrow
March 23, 2010
Clearly this is not a recipe for macarons. Could someone over there at Food52 please help me get this into the lamb contest recipes? So sorry.
monkeymom
March 15, 2010
I'm so intrigued now. I'm a newbie to this...if you make coils I assume you need casings? Where do you get them?
MrsWheelbarrow
March 15, 2010
To make coils, yes, you need casings. I get my casings from the same farm where I buy the meat, but I've also sourced them at Whole Foods by ordering ahead. In my charcuterie class, we were encouraged to use lamb casings (smaller, more traditional) but I'm only able to get hog casings. (Seems weird, as the farm raises & butchers lamb, too, but... whatever... )
SueVT
March 14, 2010
Very nice!
I like to use this in choucroute garni, as it adds spice and interest. Also wonderful used with ricotta..
Also, rather than harissa, I use smoked paprika and spice... rather than anise, I use fennel and sambuca..
http://knowwhey.blogspot.com/2010/02/sauerkraut-and-vermont-choucroute-garni.html
I like to use this in choucroute garni, as it adds spice and interest. Also wonderful used with ricotta..
Also, rather than harissa, I use smoked paprika and spice... rather than anise, I use fennel and sambuca..
http://knowwhey.blogspot.com/2010/02/sauerkraut-and-vermont-choucroute-garni.html
SueVT
March 14, 2010
The Sambuca is to add anise-like flavor in a way that I think is a little more subtle. It's not to extend the mixture or keep it cold, if that's what you mean?
The usual problem with Merguez is that they can be dry... which is why I put in pine nuts, etc.
cheers,
Sue
The usual problem with Merguez is that they can be dry... which is why I put in pine nuts, etc.
cheers,
Sue
spinthebottleny
March 13, 2010
So excited to try this! Love the touch of ginger in the meat.
MrsWheelbarrow
March 14, 2010
Thanks, Sasha - and thank you for the encouragement to post the recipe!
thirschfeld
March 13, 2010
Really liking the photo. I like Ruhlman, a lot, but truth be told a fair of the stuff they do comes from an old copy of CIA's garde manger text book. Never the less doing charcuterie at home is such a great thing and a lot of it is really simple to do at home and so much better than anything you can buy outside big cities and, even sometimes better. Kudos to MrsWheelbarrow
MrsWheelbarrow
March 13, 2010
Thanks go out to two friends (you know who you are) for help with photo cropping.
TheWimpyVegetarian
March 13, 2010
We used to made sausages when I was in school, but not since then. I need to correct this post-haste with this recipe. It looks great!!!!
TheWimpyVegetarian
March 13, 2010
I should add that I'm a fan of the harissa at my Whole Foods too. I've tried several and it's got the balance I like. I use it as a marinade for lamb shoulder before preparing it, so I know this recipe is one I would LOVE.
thirschfeld
March 13, 2010
That is looking good!!!!! We make all kinds of homemade sausages but I have not made merguez yet.
thirschfeld
March 13, 2010
Kielbasa, thuringer, venison, venison summer sausage, pheasant, blood, boudin, and these great breakfast rooster sausages. We do a lot of butchering and we like our sausage, bacon and anything cured.
MrsWheelbarrow
March 13, 2010
I've been curing bacon recently and I'm delighted with the results. I'd like to start doing some smoked sausage this summer. Up to now, I've made breakfast links, hot Italian sausage and boudin blanc, none smoked. Please post a kielbasa recipe!
TheWimpyVegetarian
March 13, 2010
Great idea LND. I order 5 lb increments of pork belly with the skin on (which is all I can get into my frig for the curing), cure it and smoke it for our bacon. Do this once, and you'll never turn back from doing your own. I'd love to see other cured meats our F52 community does.
lastnightsdinner
March 13, 2010
You've answered my prayers :) Merguez is actually the first sausage I hope to tackle when I start making my own in the coming months. This sounds fabulous.
MrsWheelbarrow
March 13, 2010
So glad! It's a great "first sausage." In the meantime, starting checking out harissas.
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