Grilled Moroccan merguez (مرقاز) and couscous aux legumes

erguez is a harissa-flavoured Moroccan lamb sausage. In Amsterdam they are sold in the ubiquitous Moroccan butcher shops. To find one in London you need to go to Goldborne Road in North Kensington.

Lean and spicy, merguez does not need any additional seasoning. It tastes best grilled. Mind and do not overcook, it should stay pink and juicy inside.

The best accompaniment for merguez is couscous aux legumes, couscous with vegetables. You can go for the traditional Moroccan way of steaming it for hours on end in special earthenware, or do as I do and fix it in under 10 minutes with comparable results.

1. Peel and slice a few cloves of garlic.
2. Heat a thick-bottomed pot and add a nice glub of olive oil. When the oil is hot add the sliced garlic.
3. Fry garlic until golden yellow and add chopped mint and coriander, a small bunch each. If you can't get hold of fresh herbs use dry ones. Allow the flavours to diffuse into the oil.
   
4. Add any robust vegetables cut into bite-size chunks. I try to use one of each colour, for example, carrots, string beans and cauliflower. Tomatoes won't do because they are too gentle and I find that broccoli is too smelly and clashes with couscous. Quickly stir-fry for a couple of minutes.
5. Add one cup of water and wait until it boils.
6. Add 2 cups of couscous and stir well. You can use more couscous and water but the proportion must be the same to ensure that couscous comes out fluffy and not soggy.
7. Reduce the heat to minimum and leave to steam for a 15-20 minutes.
8. Serve with slowly roasted sultanas and pine nuts.
   

Sometimes I top merguez with tomato velouté flavoured with something simple and honest.

1. Fry a few cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced, in a glub of olive oil until golden brown. Add any spice or herb you want at this stage, like smoked paprika powder or finely chopped coriander
   
2. Add half a tablespoonful of corn starch and make sure it dissolves chunkless into the oil. Fry a short while.
   
3. Add a tin of pizza tomatoes and reduce the heat. Stir well and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
   

Chopped fresh coriander and sweet red onions give the whole dish a herby and crunchy zest.

Full-bodied Cahors comes from the Southwest of France. Russian Orthodox Church considers it to be the only type of wine good enough to represent Christ's blood in the Holy Eucharist. It is delightfully robust and goes gloriously with spicy merguez.

Chorba, the Moroccan soup

Chorba is a generic Moroccan word for soup. In Morocco I was served it at any time of the day. What better appetizer can you think of to prepare your palate and induce salivation for the rest of the meal!

Most of time it is tomato-based with thin vermicelli, lamb bits and beans. Harissa - the spicy sauce - is served alongside so you can adjust the level of hotness yourself. Fresh chopped herbs are essential: I use coriander and spring onions.

So here's the recipe:

1. Chop finely one big carrot, one big turnip and two potatoes. Let them sit and dry for while: this way they will stay whole when boiled.
2. Chop finely half a pound of lean lamb, beef or chicken breast.
3. Heat a thick-bottomed pot medium hot and briefly fry the veggies and meat.
4. Add 2-3 crushed garlic cloves, a dash of freshly ground turmeric (powder will do too), half a bunch of chopped coriander, a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt. Fry a tad longer.
5. Add 1.5 litres of water, bring to boil. Reduce the heat.
   
6. Open a tin of peeled tomatoes, mush them into pulp and tip into the pot.
   
7. Wait until it starts simmering again and add two handfuls of fine vermicelli.
8. Allow to simmer for another 20 minutes. The vermicelli should be well done.
   

Veg(etari)ans: substitute the meat with a (strained) can of chick peas. Carnivores can also add some beans to meat, Moroccans do.

Here is a theme song for this fragrant Moroccan meal: