Merguez Sausage Sandwich with Tangy Herbed Yogurt Sauce

 Merguez sausage is a spicy Moroccan speciality made with ground beef or lamb. The harissa seasoning, along with preserved lemon purée and a mixture of herbs and spices give it a deeply soul-satisfying taste. It’s easy to make at home with our recipe, and it can be served with a tangy yogurt sauce in a sandwich, with pita bread, or couscous.

Prep time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 45 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

For sausage

• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1 pound ground lamb or beef (80% lean beef)
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Casablanca Market Moroccan Harissa
• 1/2 teaspoon Casablanca Market Preserved Lemon Puree
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 ounces fresh white bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)

For yogurt spread

• 2 cups full-fat plain yogurt, strained of liquid
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large English cucumber, peeled and grated
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons Casablanca Market Preserved Lemon Puree
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

For sandwich

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 small red bell pepper, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, sliced 1/4" thick
• 2 Roma tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped 1/2" thick
• 1 sourdough baguette, about 24” long

Method

For sausage

For maximum spice flavor and aroma, toast fennel, coriander and cumin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, until they become fragrant and just begin to color.
Transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush spices without grinding them completely.
In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the spices with the remaining sausage ingredients. Form mixture into eight kabobs that are 5” long x 1.5” wide x 1” thick. Cover and place kebabs in refrigerator for 1 hour for flavors to develop.
Start up the grill and prepare it for cooking at medium-high heat. Place sausages directly on the grill and cook on book sides until done. The meat’s internal temperature should reach 160°F.

For yogurt spread

In a medium bowl, mix together all yogurt ingredients until thoroughly combined.

For sandwich

In medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add onions and peppers. Saute for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Add tomatoes and continue to saute for 1 minute more.
Slice the baguette into four 6” sandwiches. Slice each sandwich in half lengthwise. Toast bread in oven until slightly warmed.
Evenly divide the sauteed vegetables on bottom slice of each baguette. Arrange 2 sausages on top of each sandwich. Spread 3 tablespoons yogurt on each top half of sandwich and lay yogurt-side-down on top of sausages.