Lamb Merguez Sausage Patties

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons harissa, or to taste (see Ingredient note)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 pound lean ground lamb
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Combine salt and fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle and pound until fine. Stir cumin, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, and garlic cloves into the salt mixture and continue grinding to form a thick paste. Stir in harissa sauce and tomato paste until combined.

Combine ground lamb and the spice paste together with a fork in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Form sausage into patties. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties until no longer pink inside, 5 to 8 minutes per side, depending on the size of the patties.