Merguez

-

 


Barbeques are as popular in France as they are in the UK and one of the essential items on any French grill is the merguez sausage.

Originating in North Africa, this long, thin sausage is usually made from lamb or beef mince (never pork) and is heavily spiced with cayenne, cumin and garlic. It is usually cooked over wood or coal, firstly to give it a distinctive smoky flavour but also to avoid making a mess of your oven due to the high fat content! 


They are available to buy online or you could try making your own. Click on homemade-merguez-sausage-recipe 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pear Almondine

-
Image
This recipe is from one of my favourite chefs, Raymond Blanc, and was demonstrated live last Saturday on his ITV programme  "Simply Raymond". "Tarte aux poires et aux amandes" translates into English as "Pear Frangipane tart or Pear Almondine".   Frangipane,  an almond-flavoured sweet pastry cream, is widely used in France in various desserts, pastries and cakes. Serves 6 to 8 people Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes + 10 minutes cooling time. Ingredients 100 g unsalted butter, room temperature 100 g caster sugar 100 g ground almonds 1 teaspoon cornflour 1 egg, medium, organic/free-range 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 8 pear halves, tinned or from a jar 80 g melted butter to brush the inside of the tart ring or use spray oil To serve A handful flaked almonds (for extra flavour, first toast them in a dry pan) Icing sugar, for dusting Method Preheat the oven to 160°C. Place a tart ring, about 18cm x 2cm, on a lined baking tray
Read more

Saint Agur, new potatoes and chorizo frittata

-
Image
Recipe © Raymond Blanc / Photograph © Chris Terry This dish is best eaten while it’s still warm but can easily be made in advance and served cold. You can add your own twist to this recipe by adding your favourite vegetables, spices, smoked fish or cooked chicken. The Saint Agur   blue cheese gives a savoury note to the frittata and a little sharpness, making the whole dish balanced and delicious. Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes Serves 6 Ingredients 400g Jersey Royal potatoes, quartered 1 red onion, diced 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 3 tbsp olive oil 2 bay leaves 1 sprig thyme 1 sprig rosemary 1 pinch smoked paprika 1 pinch sea salt 120g chorizo, cut into small dice 100g  roasted red pepper, 1cm dice 150g Saint Agur blue cheese, 1cm dice 80g spinach, chopped 8 eggs, whisked Method Preheat the oven to 170ºC. In a medium 20cm non-stick ovenproof sauté pan with a lid, on a medium heat, sweat the potatoes, onion and garlic in the oil with the bay leaf, thyme, rosema
Read more

Flammekueche

-
Image
  Flammekueche comes from Alsace in eastern France, on the German border. In my previous blog, l'Alsace , we discovered that the boarder has shifted several times between France and Germany. As a result, Alsace has developed a unique identity, with its own language and specialities including dishes such as choucroute garnie , (sauerkraut), Munster cheese and Flammekueche amongst others, The name translates literally as “flame cake,” but flammekueche neither is a cake, nor is it flamed! The tart is actually a cross between a savoury tart and a pizza, a thin sheet of unleavened dough spread generously with crème fraîche, and sprinkled with slivered onions and bacon. The result is a delicious crisp-chewy crust topped with tangy cream, and salty smoky pork.   Serves 4 as a main course Serves up to 12 as a snack Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes   INGREDIENTS   For the dough    250g/9oz plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting     ½ tsp salt     150ml/5fl oz tep
Read more