Moroccan Merguez Ragout with Poached Eggs

This was really good and very easy. I would add some kale or other greens next time but otherwise it was a quick and easy weeknight meal. The persimmon was just the right touch.

Trust me when I say this is NOT Bobby Flay’s recipe! I’ve been making this for years and do not even use Flay’s recipes. So, cool it, folks!

Totally agree jd! Bobby is good but didn't invent this one.

This is a fantastic dish! Also - this is Bobby Flay's dish. This is a little not cool to pass it as your own, especially when the only difference is omitting some ingredients (he serves it with goat cheese and some chopped herbs). But great dish all the same.

This is a really good dish. I made it with merguez from a local organic butcher. I used equivalent spices, I was lacking the exact spice mixture. It turned out quite spicy hot due to the merguez. This is like a merguez version of shakshuka. My 15 year old loved the egg yolk in the dish and loves merguez. One family member is French and liked it also. I only had the w cans of tomatoes brand specified with chipotle in the cabinet, so I used that. This merguez can also be ordered online from D’Artagnan.

Hi, great recipe! I made it for three of us and served it with cheese toast and not a drop of sauce was left!

I've been using this one as my base recipe for great Christmas morning breakfast for years. This year I gave it an update. No oil required for the great merguez sausage I get from local butchers. Brown the sausage first then add the onion until soft and translucent, then the garlic and spices(no salt) (I use a Ras El Hanout blend that I found on Epicurious (Gourmet April 1988). Upped the tomatoes to 1-28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes (chopped with kitchen shears) plus one 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes. Fire roasted are nice but not necessary. Added a Tbs of harissa paste with more on the table for the heat lovers. Tasted for salt after simmering for a bit (it all depends on the sausage, tomatoes etc.). Yum!!!

It's not often I follow a recipe nearly exactly but this was perfect. Homemade harissa and ras el hanout probably helped, and the local butcher had some excellent lamb merguez. I started with 285g instead of 454g (1lb) and listened to the head note's advisement about oil. Started with 2tbsp and that was plenty. Served with a loaf of Jim Lahey's no knead bread and it was truly excellent.

Mark, your substitutions sound perfect. In fact, I sometimes add chickpeas. Glad you like it! emily

Wow, this was fantastic, even my sweet, but picky kids liked this one. I used mild italian (b/ of kids) and added a can of chickpeas and it turned out great. Also added a little fresh thyme, b/ i just like thyme. worked out great. will definitely make this again. thanks for the recipe.

Made this tonight. Everyone really liked it but said it was rather oily. Next time (and there will be a next time!) I'll start with considerably less and add more if necessary. Didn't have the can of tomatoes - but I chopped up some fresh ones and added some marinade leftover from taxicab chicken!
Thanks for the recipe!

Another of my favorites, Spanish chorizo, and I bet it's every bit as tasty as merguez, Sarah!

Just made this last night for a "breakfast for dinner" with friends. Lots of "Wows" and "Delicious!" comments! The only substitute I made was Chorizo for Merguez sausage and the sauce reduced for longer than the recipe called for since I was fixing other things at the same time. The result was a stew like texture that I really liked. It paired well with The Tortilla Espanola recipe also from Food52. A winner all around!

Sorry this is a bit late! A veg (well, really, lacto-ovo-vegetarian) version is pretty simple - just don't use the sausage. Slice a couple of red bell peppers and add to the pan to sauté when you are doing the onion and garlic. Crumble about a block/rectangle of good feta (sheep milk, not the cow milk kind) and sprinkle about half after you add the eggs, and the rest on top before serving. So delicious. No one really missed the meat.

My personal favorite is made with merguez, but try it with whatever you have on hand or whatever suits your palate. Remember, recipes are only a guideline. HAVE FUN!

How about trying this dish with ground beef.

None none, would you mind posting your vegetarian version? Others might be interested in your changes. Thanks! And glad you enjoyed it!

Yum! Made a vegetarian version with feta instead of merguez. Still delicious.

Love the addition of potatoes...especially teensy potatoes from our farmer's market! Glad you are enjoying the dish...I'm mad about it!

A favorite! Steamed chunks of new potato added to the dish is a nice addition sometimes. So easy and flavorful!

Glad you liked it, MBE!

This is awesome!! Made it with a locally grown/produced Merguez from Blues Creek farms and served it with Cheese Grits made with stone ground grits from Shagbark Seed and Mill and Blue Jacket Dairy Hull's Trace cheddar to soak up all those great juices!

Cool beans!! I make it often as well...one of my husband's faves.

This is just fantastic. I had it for New Year's Day breakfast and have made it twice since then. All my friends wanted the recipe.

Ham, I LOVE your additions! I will give them a whirl when next making this dish!

This is delicious! I grilled the bread and added 1 tbl cumin with the tomatoes. Once it was finished, I also topped it with a sprinkle of za'atar.

This looks amazing, I love the different spices you have added to this dish. I have to try to find these ingredients and make this at home.

Phillip, it is only in the recent past that Harissa Spice has shown up on the market. Typically, when you see "harissa" in a recipe, it refers to a paste. If you'd like, I can send you my "faux" harissa recipe as I begin with Asian Chile-garlic Sauce. You can contact me at www.epicureanodyssey.com.

Is the harissa in this recipe is paste/sauce form or dried spice?

Shell, I rather like the idea of chickpeas AND eggplant. Give it a whirl and let me know if it worked for you.

I had this dish again last night and must say it is fast becoming one of our favs. (my husband gets really excited if I tell him I am cooking the "egg dish") Thanks for the recipe. I am thinking I might experiment with a vegetarian base of eggplant and zucchini next time around, but maybe I will try oinky's suggestion of chickpeas. yummy.

Why thank you, oinky...love the name! I like the idea of chickpeas for vegetarians.

Epicureanodyssey, surely there is great reward for you in foodie heaven!! Fed this to my motley crüe of dinner guests with several dietary restrictions- one pot with merguez for the carnivores, another with chickpeas for the herbivores. Served this with a cast iron polenta ricotta cake. Your ragout was perfect, as NYC is brisk and cold again!

Awwww, you make my heart sing, procrastibaker!!

There is no point at which I don't crave this dish. During one winter, when I was living in Michigan, I ate it for dinner at least twice a week for two months straight. Since I was cooking for one at the time, I would poach just two eggs at a time in the sauce, and then poach another two the next time I went to eat it. If you can't get merguez, chorizo is a fine substitute, as is spicy Italian sausage, but the merguez really does add something extra. I made my own ras el hanout and nagged a chef friend until she sent me some homemade harissa. I can't wait until rainy season hits the Bay so I can start making this on a regular basis again.

Glad you enjoyed it, Nicole! Keep on cookin'!

Made this Moroccan stew for diner tonight. We enjoyed every bite of it. Was glad I found the recipe for the " raz el hanout". Very easy to prepare and will definitely use for the future preparation of stew. So Yummy! Love these flavors. Thanks for the recipe!

Why, thank you, gingerkeg! It's a keeper!

Wow. This was absolute perfection. Thanks for sharing!

D'Artagnan's merguez is quite acceptable! Glad you enjoyed it!

Made this for 9 people for brunch this morning and it was absolutely incredible... and SO easy. Used fresh spanish chorizo from Citarella (although I did see D'Artagnan's lamb merguez at Zabar's!). Thank you for introducing me to these wonderful herbs, epicureanodyssey!!!

Glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer! I continue to make it each chance I get. BTW, if you are anywhere near a Whole Foods Market, they often have merguez.

This is a fantastic recipe. I used homemade spicy Italian sausage from my local market which has a bit of a kick. I made the Harissa sauce myself but found the dish was spicy enough without it and it added 1/2 an hour to prep. I also made the ras el hanout, which was easy. I halved the recipe for 2 of us and there was enough for a 3rd serving. We'll be branching on this again tomorrow!!!

Sdschorr, If you are in the mood, here is my version of merguez, which I don't put in casing.

Merguez Sausage

Recipe By: Emily C. Swantner, www.epicureanodyssey.com
Yield: 2 pounds sausage

SPICE MIX:
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon Spanish smoked paprika
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and crushed with a mortar and pestle
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, lightly toasted and crushed with a mortar and pestle
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cayenne chile
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper

FOR THE MERGUEZ SAUSAGE:
2 pounds ground lamb, with a minimum of 20% fat content
1 recipe Spice Mix
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/2 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
extra virgin olive oil, for cooking

SPICE MIX:
In a small bowl, combine all the spices and mix well. Set aside.

FOR THE MERGUEZ SAUSAGE:
In a medium-large bowl, combine the lamb, Spice Mix, water, sherry vinegar, garlic, cilantro and garlic. Wet your hands with water, and knead to mix thoroughly. Pinch a small piece of the lamb mixture and cook in a little olive oil to check for seasoning. Adjust as necessary.

Portion the sausage into 2-ounce pieces, and roll into a cigar-like shape. Over medium-high heat, add a little olive oil to a medium fry pan. Add the sausage and cook until golden on one side, then roll the sausages so they cook evenly. They are best cooked to medium doneness. ALTERNATIVELY, you can grill the merguez to desired doneness. Set aside and keep warm.

I couldn't find lamb sausage, so used pork chorizo from Whole Foods, which was delicious (although I think the merguez or even ground lamb would be better). I made my own ras al hanout--found a very easy recipe for that on epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ras-El-Hanout-101070
Served it with roasted sweet potato fries, fresh ricotta/bread and a leek and cauliflower soup. Total comfort food!

This recipe looks luscious! What is it about eggs that seem so ho-hum when hard boiled yet enticingly rich when left a little soft in the center? Just heaven.

Christina
www.foodiewithalife.com

Absolutely wonderful. Making the ras el hanout took the most time, but the rest of the dish just came together so quickly. My husband who doesn't tolerate much 'fire' still liked it. My son's Thai girlfriend loved it so much she took the spices home with her. I found the recipe for the Merguez sausage on your website, I will make them next time. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!

Yep, chocolatesushi, recipes are only a guideline. I always encourage people to use what they may have on hand!

I make something very similar putting some kind of cheese on top (whatever is on hand) and putting it over pasta. i have also added pinto beans to add hardyness to it.

Why, thank you, Jumana. I love the addition of preserved lemons. I will give that a whirl next time around. Your comment makes me hungry for this dish, and I just happen to have some handmade merguez.

Excellent recipe. Made it today and it was so yummy! I added some diced preserved Meyer lemon to it and gave it a really fresh kick! I had this dish originally at cafe Medina in vancouver more than a year ago and had been thinking about it since then. So glad I found the recipe! Thanks for sharing!

Ooooooo, Emily, I'm going to use the crusty bread + fresh mozza tomorrow night. I'm so hungry for this dish...glad it was a hit with "the club"...the other Emily

I should add that I took the warm crusty bread + fresh ricotta suggestion and it is a real winner. The dish is great with out it, but it really does make a stellar meal together.

I made this for cookbook book club over the weekend and it was a huge hit! Now that I have the necessary spices, I can make it whenever I want, hooray! (also I subbed spicy pork sausage for the merguez, and it was still amazing.)

I made this dish tonight for the first time and used soyrizo instead of the merguez...one word...SCRUMPTIOUS!!!! I absolutely loved the flavor combinations and I tried 2 new spices (ras el hanout and harissa)!! Can't wait to eat this again tomorrow!

that looks soooooo good

that looks soooooo good

I make it with toasted Italian bread buttered with fresh ricotta cheese ...the cool cheese under the hot tomato and eggs it is a
Defect meal!

Foodiebiztraveler, glad you enjoyed the ragout! I have never used powdered harissa, in fact, I did not know it existed. I'm wondering if it is meant to be mixed with liquid. Doesn't matter, be creative and use it in whatever inspires you. Also, other things you can use ras el hanout in are Moroccan tangines, root vegetables roasted with prunes, etc. Check out Christine Benlafqui's Moroccan food blog at www.moroccanfood.about.com. You can also contact me at my web site, www.epicureanodyssey.com and I will send you recipes using ras el hangout.

SOOOO wonderful! Now I am wondering what else I can use ras et hanout for? Also I bought both powdered harissa and harissa paste. I sprinkled the powder on top at the end and it was delicious. Any thoughts on pros/cons of the two forms of harissa? I can't wait to make next time I have guests in from out of town.

Onlinepastrychef, breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner, this is still one of my favorites. So delighted you enjoyed it! I am a Moroccan fiend, so don't be shy, ask away and I will reply. I have a huge Moroccan repertoire.

We just got our copy of The Food52 Cookbook a few weeks ago. I won it from another blogger, and I had promised to regift it if I won. When I did, my husband and I went through the book and chose 20-21 recipe that we found the most interesting/inspiring and have started a year-long blogging series called Food52sdays. My husband chose your recipe for our first inspiration recipe. We made our take on this (very close to your original) this past weekend, and here's how it went: http://pastrychefonline.com/blog/2012/02/07/food52sdays-inaugural-recipe-interpretation-moroccan-merguez-ragout-with-poached-eggs/ Thank you so much for such a great recipe. We truly enjoyed it!

I just bought a jar of harissa and ran across this again... I can't wait! I'm SO EXCITED to eat this. I'm thinking this will be a special New Year's Day brunch with Bloody Marys :)

I'm a vegetarian, but I wanted to at least attempt to preserve the merguez's texture, so I made this with tempeh. It was delicious! I made it TWICE this week and I'm already craving more.

To me, a poached or fried eggs elevates just about any dish. Glad you enjoyed the Ragout.

I just made this for dinner. I happened to have some merguez sausage on hand and this recipe was recomended by a couple of lovely ladies whose opinions I value. It was amazing. Perfect for this cold rainy night. What is it about a poached egg that transforms a meal? Thanks for sharing.

Don't you just love recipes you can make your own, Deborah!! Glad the "fam" enjoyed it.

I made this for dinner last night using hot Italian chicken sausage. Had harissa and mixed spices I had- it was a big hit! Everyone from my picky eater to my meat and potatoes husband loved it!

I made this last night using hot italian chicken sausage and it was a big hit- everyone loved it!!

I swear I had exactly this egg dish in one of Montreal's trendy brunch places last week... and have been thinking about it ever since. Glad that I can now recreate it!!

Thank you! I could eat this dish breakfast, lunch and dinner. In fact, I just might:-)!

One of the best breakfast dishes I have ever made or had! So unbelievably good.

How lovely of you to make breakfast in bed!! Happy Father's day to all the wonderful fathers in our world!

I just made this for Father's Day breakfast-in-bed, and it was a big success! Just found the recipe last night and was pleasantly surprised to find all of the ingredients at my local supermarket.

This sounds amazing! I love Moroccan food, but this recipe is very unique and my mouth is watering just looking at the picture!

This recipe is definitely a CROWD pleaser. Also, you've never seen my husband eat. I typically prepare this for brunch for friends. You can also use less eggs and freeze the remaining sauce. BTW you can also finish the dish in a 350 degree F oven.

I just made this for brunch and used the merguez recipe in the comments. All was fabulous. I would make a note, this is a lot of food, one could easily get by with just one egg and the meat sauce. I am officially in pain, good pain but pain none the less ;-)

Haven't tried either of these but found the ras el hanout and harissa at Cost Plus World Market. Really inexpensive in comparison to gourmetfoodstore.com.

Variety is the "spice of life." So glad you enjoyed your variations on a theme!!

I saw this recipe and had to make it, unfortunately I did not have the main ingredients. I cut the recipe in half, used 3-4 oz of salami diced instead of sausage, masala & extra hot Indian chili powder instead of harissa. This was really yummy and I look forward to making the dish properly.

Made this for dinner over the weekend...it was great. I especially loved the runny yoke :D

Spanish Chorizo is a perfect substitute!! Kudos to you, Schmaltzy. Chef Lew, I am such a die-hard chile fan, cayenne is a big part of my world. Glad you two enjoyed the Ragout.

Made this earlier in the week for dinner and the flavors are simply great. I used six and not four garlic cloves and added a little cayenne, not so much as dominate but to add to the spices (and being from south Louisiana that's second nature). This is certainly one I'll come back again and again.

I had to substitute chorizo for the merguez and a garlic chili paste for the harissa. It ended up being a little thicker than I anticipated and it was definitely very spicy...but we loved every bite. It was more than enough for two meals for my husband and I, so I separated out half for leftovers before cooking the eggs in it...I guess I just get a little freaked out by saving something I cooked eggs in. It was fantastic.

I would leave the merguez out altogether. Though it adds lots of flavor, the sauce is flavorful enough without it. Add a large pinch of ground cinnamon, cayenne, cumin & coriander to the pan before adding the tomatoes, as these are the spices used to make merguez. You can bulk up the sauce by sautéeing julienned red or yellow bell peppers with the onions, or toss in halved and roasted baby potatoes. My motto, "A recipe is just a guideline." Be creative!!

i didn't have anything on hand to try this - so poached the eggs in green chili instead. awesome with tortillas.

does anyone have a idea how to make it vegetarian? not a must, but i'd love the option.

I have my Italian version called Cipollata which I have been cooking for years. Being Italian, to me it's a dinner dish rather than breakfast.

http://casa-giardino.blogspot.com/2010/08/cipollata.html

Thank you, nutcakes! Kudos for being creative...recipes are JUST a guideline!! There is a recipe for Ras el Hanout on my web site, www.epicureanodyssey.com.

I loved this dish, I used a lower amount of oil. Being lazy and not having ras al hanout, I just looked up a recipe and put a pinch of each spice I had on hand in. But I liked it enough to buy or make up some for future. I used andouille sausage I had on hand. leftover sauce was nice on top of fresh poached eggs.

Smokin'inTokyo, you can send you email address through my web site if you'd like.

Smokin'inTokyo, I'd love to send photos...but need an email address. We lived in Yokohama in '96/'97...LOVED IT!!

I always appreciate food history, "piereno"!! Thank you for your contribution to the history of this dish. And, "gingerroot", I'm thrilled you made this for Christmas breakfast. If you want an another easy and very spicy harissa recipe, it's under "recipes" on my web site, www.epicureanodyssey.com, as well as many other Moroccan recipes. We had a Oaxacan Mole Christmas dinner last night for 8 friends...YUM!!

Made this for Christmas breakfast...absolutely delicious and easy to put together. I made a batch of TasteFood's Harissa - yum! I will definitely make this again and again. Thanks for a great recipe!

First of all this sounds great. However it's actually a riff on a Neapolitan dish referred to as Eggs in Purgatory (which is my own signature so I know about it). Not long ago I had a disagreement with an editor at Saveur regarding a similar Israeli dish which they attributed to springing from Libya. Yes, in a way BUT if you follow the history of the tomato it traveled from the New World to Spain and on to Italy where it flourished in Naples. My theory is that this dish arrived in Libya with Mussolini's men in the thirties and migrated west through the Mediterranean and east into the Levant after that.

Good question, adambravo. So to simplify, you crack and cook all 8 eggs over the prepared ragout. Spoon sa portion ragout into a warm bowls, then top each portion with 2 eggs, a sprinkling of cilantro and a bit of harissa. Repeat with the 3 remaining bowls. I hope this clarifies the recipe for you. ENJOY!

Sounds delish, but I think I'm misreading something: "Spoon the ragout into four warm bowls, top with two eggs, a sprinkling of cilantro and a teaspoon of Harissa." You're supposed to have eight eggs total--so is that four eggs in the ragout and one egg in each bowl? And is each egg broken raw (and served as such) over the ragout?

MUST try...saved it! Thanks for sharing it...

Oops, I actually made "merguez meatballs" for a different version for the Supper Club. If you'd like the recipe, it is on my web site, www.epicureanodyssey.com. Click on Recipes, then Entrees, then Merguez Sausage.

I've just returned from Morocco where I had this dish several times. It's one of my favorites to make for a crowd. I made it for my World Breakfast Supper Club recently. You can prepare the meatballs and ragout ahead of time, then rewarm in a 375-degree oven, crack the eggs on top and bake if doubling or tripling the recipe. Glad you enjoyed it!!

I am new to this site and when I stumbled across this recipe I was excited to make it. It didn't disappoint. Truly delicious and the house smells fabulous too. Thank you! I am looking forward to making it again, soon.

Ooooo, I really like the idea of individual servings. I have some small Spanish cazuelas I can use. Thanks for the tip!

I made quite a similar dish using individual, single-serving cast iron casseroles - one egg per person per casserole. I finished the ragout on top of stove, spooned in the casseroles, cracked the eggs in then put the casseroles, with lids on, in a warn oven for some 10 minutes (but check often to see when it's done to your tastes). Makes for a lovely presentation and, as someone said, makes it easier to scale down the recipe. (also, you can keep the leftover ragout in the fridge/freezer, and eat it with a freshly poached egg every time :)
Very nice idea to use a spicy sausage and thanks for the merguez recipe!

Always on the lookout for rich lo-carb recipes. I have done many poached egg recipes-but this is a novel direction!

Made it for dinner a few nights ago, using bulk merguez which worked fine. it was good, but i didn't love it. i think, perhaps, i'm not that big a fan of this flavor profile. it did make a nice dinner w/the runny eggs and crusty bread, but wasn't a favorite.

I fell in love with the recipe the first time I read it and I knew I had to make it right away. I bought Merguez at Uli's and spices from Pike place market here in seattle. This recipe is quick, easy and delicious. Also a real crowd pleaser. Recipe can be scaled up pretty easily if eggs are poached separately and then served over the ragout. Served this with baguette and white wine with Looza Apricot nectar.

this sounds like an amazing recipe! I'll have to try it soon!

I made this wonderful recipe this week and it was a big hit at my house. The great thing for me, besides the wonderful blend of flavors, was that I put it together in about 30 minutes! Amazingly, I found a small box of Ras el Hanout at a local Whole Foods, and it's now my fnew avorite spice blend. The eggs cooked a little faster than I thought they would and I'll check in on them a little earlier next time, but this was perfect with the recipe for the merguez meatballs recipe ecswantner posts below. The flavors are perfect with the lamb for this recipe. Thanks so much for posting!

This looks delicious! I spent a great deal of time in Morocco years ago, and this is similar to one of my favorite dishes, Tagine Kefta, which is pretty much exactly the same, but substitutes the merguez for small seasoned (similar to the seasonings in the recipe posted for merguez) beef meatballs. Thank you so much for posting this recipe - I look forward to trying it!

This was delicious!! Thanks ladies!

Saving this one. Thank you!

One more thing, I agree with reducing the amount of olive oil to 1/4 cup.

Thanks for the scrumptious comments!!

Merguez is really easy to make. If have a few minutes, mix together 1 pound ground lamb with 1/4 cup finely minced cilantro stems, 1 1/2 TBS ras el hanout, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 TBS harissa, 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil and kosher salt to taste. Roll into sausage-like cylinders, store in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. VOILA, Merguez.

A really fine commercial blend of ras el hanout and smoked paprika can be ordered at wholespice.com

This looks fabulous! It's exactly my favorite kinds of foods and spices. Can't wait to try it! Congrats!!

Ladies, you're killing me with all this paprika. Must order online.:)

Congratulations! This sounds great. We used to buy merguez all the time in Geneva, but I have yet to find a good source here that resembles the thin dry spicy merguez we loved.

Looks fantastic! Reminds me of Eggs in Purgatory.

A very worthy Wildcard winner!

My mouth is watering. I'll try this soon for sure.

Thanks!!

Making merguez is very simple. I don't stuff it into casings, just roll it into a cylinder.

Also, nothing better than a good piperade! Keep on cookin'!

this looks absolutely awesome. I love cooking with Moroccan ingredients, especially merguez. I'm sure this is a fabulous bed for the eggs. I actually submitted a similar dish using piperade as the base. Love it!