[From our kitchen: Merguez hails from Northern Africa and contains the region’s signature spices and flavors. It’s considered a sausage, but lots of versions such as this use no casing.]
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon turmeric
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons harissa, or to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound lean ground lamb
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
4 slices tomato
12 slices cucumber
To Make:
1. Combine salt and fennel seeds and crush with a mortar and pestle or the bottom of a heavy skillet until finely ground. Stir in cumin, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, and garlic and continue crushing and grinding to form a thick paste. Stir in harissa and tomato paste until combined.
2. Combine lamb and spice paste with a fork in a large bowl. Cover and chill at least 12 hours or up to 18 hours.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat (325°F to 375°F). Divide meat mixture into 4 equal portions and pat into 3½ -inch patties (½ inch thick).
4. Lightly oil grate and grill patties, turning once, until evenly browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in each registers 160°F, 6 to 7 minutes per side. Serve on buns with tomato and cucumber.
PER SERVING: 418 CAL; 23.2g FAT (9.4g SAT); 23.8g PRO; 25.6g CARB; 2.3g FIBER; 681mg SODIUM; 77mg CHOL
