North African Merguez
In this modern world where people can work remotely from anywhere on the globe and therefore move to any place they choose, there are major pluses as well as minuses. When moving from one area to another, the experience is fascinating but there are frustrations that come along with it.
Yes it’s always fun to discover new places, meet new people, learn another culture, add an additional language to your repertoire and discover new dishes. That’s the thrill of moving away and you don’t have to move that far to experience changes. The frustrating part of it besides the adaptation is not finding some things that you want…
Just moving out of Québec to Ontario was a big adaptation on many levels… well back there it was. Clubs in the 80s’ were closing at 1am instead of 3am in Québec. The drinking age was 19 versus 18 (I moved when I was 23 so I was okay). Most places were closed on Sunday in downtown Toronto whereas in Montréal it was another crazy day to go out. People were dressing very conservatively in comparison to the ones from Montréal which back then held the reputation of being North America’s Fashion Destination next to New York City… and lastly, not finding certain foods! With only 5 hours of driving time between Toronto and Montréal, I couldn’t understand why there were so many food items from Québec we couldn’t find in Ontario.
Nine years ago, I fell in love and moved in with David here in British Columbia. I didn’t move from Canada to Asia although sometimes it feels like that here in Vancouver… lol! Almost the same thing happened like it did when I moved to Ontario back in the late 80s’. I won’t pinpoint all of the differences except with food of course, since this is a cooking website.
When I just moved to Ontario and was visiting family and friends back in Québec, I always had a cooler in the car so I could buy my favorite foods, fill the cooler and bring them back home to Toronto with me. Now it’s quite difficult to do that considering that I would have to drive 4 days non-stop going through the Rocky Mountains (that is if the weather is nice) just to have my favorite food items. Not a viable option, so the solution was to make my own!
There’s one food item that is incredibly delicious and it’s North African Merguez Sausage! I used to buy it often when I was living in Montréal. This sausage has so many earthy flavors and the spiciness in it is just perfect! The added tomato paste along with the harissa gives that distinctive reddish color to the sausage.
After inquiring at over a dozen butcher shops and getting that puzzled look on their faces when I asked about it, I decided it was time for me to try making my own North African Merguez Sausage. For those of you who have never made homemade sausage before, it’s really not that complicated! Here’s a tutorial video on How to Make Homemade Sausage that should help.
This North African Merguez Sausage is not for the faint of heart… it’s spicy! If you like spice in your food and are not afraid to try something new then you definitely need to add it to your “must try” list…
Bon Appétit!
Here are other tasty homemade sausage recipes for you to try…
– Homemade Andouille Sausage
– Homemade Chorizo
– Garlic Sausage
– Hot Italian Sausage
and for even more lamb recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Lamb
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North African Merguez
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Ingredients
- 1 tsp. whole cumin seeds
- 1 tsp. whole coriander seeds
- 1 tsp. whole fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp. ras el hanout
- 1/4 tsp. sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or more to taste
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp. harissa paste Footnote
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste tips & tricks
- 1 lb. ground lamb
- 2 feet lamb casing
- grapeseed oil, as needed tips & tricks
Directions
- In a small skillet over medium heat, add cumin, coriander and fennel seeds; toast until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Let the seeds cool off for 15 minutes before transferring them into a spice grinder; grind to a fine powder.
- Transfer spice mixture to a small bowl and add ras el hanout, paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, harissa paste and garlic; mix until well blended.
- In a mixing bowl, combine lamb and the spice mixture. Spread tomato paste on top and quickly mix with your hands.
- Cover the meat tightly with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
- The next day, form a small patty and cook it; taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Proceed with sausage making or make patties.
Notes
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