Merguez

merguez

What it is

The name comes through Arabic mirqāz from the Berber, and a recipe for mirkās appears in a thirteenth-century Andalusian manuscript — long before anything existed to turn it red. Chilli reached North Africa from the Americas centuries later and gave the sausage the colour it is now known by.

In the kitchen

Grill it fast over high heat and never prick it: merguez carries little fat, and the holes let out the only moisture it has. Three or four minutes a side, then off.

Goes with

Harissa Couscous Cumin Bell pepper Mint Lemon Tomato

Same species

Pauillac lamb Salt marsh lamb Sisteron lamb Lamb fries Lamb brain Leg of lamb

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