Lamb Merguez
Merguez is a fancy word that basically means a spiced sausage that is a shade of red from the type of peppers used to season it. Traditionally, it’s made with lamb, but you can use beef if that’s more in your comfort zone. If the idea of making sausage intimidates you, I’ll remind you that every time you make meatballs you are making a type of sausage! You don’t need to put the meat in a casing and do any complicated curing in this recipe. It’s a simple mix, form, and pan fry situation and I promise the results are well worth it. I’ve dialed back the spices here so that even the youngest among your family can enjoy it!
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground lamb
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds (optional!)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon harissa
2 cloves grated garlic
1 teaspoon salt
about 2 tablespoons cold water
Directions:
In a large bowl, add the water and all of the spices and seasonings. Give it a little stir together. This helps the spices more evenly incorporate in the meat when you mix it together. Add the meat and use your hands (or you could use a stand mixer!) to mix the seasonings throughout. If you don’t have one of the seasonings, no worries! It will still taste delicious. Patty out about 1/4 cup of mixture at a time, you should get about 16 small patties. Preheat a grill or wide skillet over medium heat and cook on each side for about 5 minutes or until done.
