I’ve been finding Moroccan style sausage at many different meat shops lately. This was made with goat merguez sausage from Clancey’s, which had really good flavor. I used a spice blend, but I’m sure you could use fresh spices and add some more ingredients (like dried fruit), but it turned out tasty when made this simple way.
4 links Merguez sausage, sliced
1 large onion, chopped coarsely
2 carrots, in large chunks
2 c. small cauliflower florets
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 Tbsp. Moroccan spice blend (ras al-hanout)
1 Tbsp. minced ginger
1 can chickpeas
1.5 c. chicken broth
6 Tbsp. butter
Use a heavy bottomed pot to heat 4 Tbsp. of butter. Add the onions and saute until soft and starting to caramelize. Add the sausage and cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes until the liquid cooks off and everything starts to sizzle. Add the tomato paste and stir so it is well distributed. Stir in the spice blend and ginger. Add the carrots and 1 c. chicken broth and cover, simmering for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, use the remaining butter to pan roast the cauliflower. It should not be cooked through, but the edges should be browned.
Alex tells me that the secret to Moroccan cuisine is mixing fresh parsley and cilantro. You could add that at the end (although I didn’t and it was still delicious).
Add in the chickpeas and cauliflower, and if it needs more moisture, the remaining broth. Simmer for 10 more minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Salt to taste. Serve with couscous tossed with even more butter. I used seasoned butter on the couscous (caramelized onions and thyme), which made it even better. I recommend the medium grained couscous that’s available at Holy Land (and not the fine grained style they sell at the co-op).