Grilled Merguez

مرقاز

“Smoke, spice, charcoal — Djemaa el-Fna at midnight.”

Prep 30 min · Cook 10 min · Serves 4 · Difficulty Easy · Origin: North Africa (Maghreb-wide)

Merguez are thin, fiery lamb sausages seasoned with harissa, cumin, and fennel, grilled over charcoal until they blister and split. At Djemaa el-Fna in Marrakech, 100 grills light up at dusk and the smoke of a thousand sausages rises into the night sky. Eaten in a folded khobz with harissa and tomatoes, they are one of the great street food experiences on earth.

Ingredients · Serves 4

• ground lamb (20% fat)500 g
• harissa paste2 tbsp
• ground cumin2 tsp
• sweet paprika1 tsp
• ground fennel seeds1 tsp
• garlic, very finely minced2 cloves
• salt1 tsp
• black pepper½ tsp
• or serve as skinless kebabssausage casings

The Recipe

1. 1.Combine all ingredients and mix vigorously by hand for 3 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky and cohesive.
2. 2.Refrigerate for at least 1 hour for the spices to bloom.
3. 3.If using casings, stuff the mixture into lamb casings and twist into 15 cm links. Alternatively, shape around metal skewers.
4. 4.Grill over very hot charcoal (or a screaming-hot griddle pan) for 4–5 minutes per side until charred in places and cooked through.
5. 5.Serve immediately in khobz bread with harissa, grated tomato and a squeeze of lemon.

Chef's Tips

• Fat content matters — lean lamb makes dry, crumbly merguez. Ask your butcher for shoulder mince with 20% fat.
• The mixture must be cold when grilling or it will fall apart on the grill.