Merguez Sausage and Green Olive Tagine
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
I’ve served this wonderfully aromatic tagine with hot couscous, cooked green beans and thick plain yoghurt with harissa. Wedges of roast pumpkin or kumara and a bowl of red onion and tomato salad would also be delicious.
Serves: 4–6
INGREDIENTS
600 grams lamb Merguez sausages
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced, fronds reserved
2 carrots, cut into thick batons
2 cinnamon sticks
long strips zest from 1 lemon
2 teaspoons each ground coriander and cumin
1 teaspoon each ground ginger and turmeric
½ teaspoon ground allspice
pinch chilli flakes
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup small green olives
400 gram tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
small handful coriander, chopped
sea salt and ground pepper
METHOD
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large sauté pan and quickly brown the sausages.
Remove and place on kitchen towels. They won’t be fully cooked.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the onion, fennel, carrots, cinnamon sticks and the lemon zest with a good pinch of salt for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add all the spices and the garlic and stir through the vegetables, adding a splash of water if the pan is too dry. Cook for 2 minutes then return the sausages to the pan along with the olives, chickpeas and stock. Season and bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Stir in the coriander and reserved fennel fronds just before serving.

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