Saturday, March 29, 2008

Spicy Lamb Sausage and Egg Skillet

So did ya’ll run into the kitchen to make spicy lamb sausage? No? Well maybe if I show you what you can do with it, you’ll feel more inspired to try it??



What is it you ask? Why, it's a skillet with lamb sausage, sauteed red peppers and onions in a wonderfully spiced tomato sauce topped with eggs that are poached in the sauce. In a word, it's delicious. It's also fast to prepare; you could do it in about 30 minutes. And it's the perfect communal meal. Just put the skillet on the table along with a plate of naan-like flatbread and let everyone take a share.

I won’t be disappointed if you don’t make your own merguez and I know it’s hard to find. Here’s a tip, you can substitute fresh chorizo (not the funky Mexican variety in the plastic casing and not the fully cured Spanish variety used in paella) and you’ll still have a tasty dinner on the table.


Spicy Lamb Sausage and Egg Skillet
Feeds 4
  • ½ pound merguez
  • 1 tbs ghee* (see note)
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 3-inch sticks cinnamon
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes (recommend fire-roasted)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1-2 tbs chopped Italian parsley for garnish (cilantro will work as well)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
*Note: Ghee is just clarified butter. It gives a wonderful buttery taste to dishes and can be purchased at Indian specialty stores. Or you can do like I did and make it yourself. I haven't used it as body oil (nor do I plan to), but you are welcome to try if you want to smell like buttered popcorn. Click here to see how it’s done. Theoretically, ghee doesn't need to be stored in the fridge, but I prefer to for my own peace of mind. If you don’t want to use ghee for this recipe, just use your favorite oil.

Form the sausage into small balls. Using an ovenproof skillet, melt the ghee and when hot, fry the sausage until brown (doesn’t need to be cooked through at this point). Remove and set aside.

In the same skillet add the cumin seeds and cinnamon and fry for about 10 to 15 seconds then add the onion and bell pepper. Sautee until soft and starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Return the sausage and any accumulated juices back to the pan then add the diced tomatoes (I like to puree the tomatoes before adding so they aren’t so chunky). Cook until the sausage is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, maybe 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. I also like to add a pinch of sugar to cut the acidity when I use canned tomatoes.

Once the seasonings are to your liking, carefully crack the eggs into the skillet. Place the skillet under the broiler just until the egg whites are set, about 3 to 5 minutes. The yolks should still be soft. Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper and garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve with flatbread or any other crusty bread of your choice.

3 comments:

Manggy said...

Now you're just showing off, Darlene. I love it, haha! :)

To cut the acidity of diced tomatoes I usually swap out half or a fourth of the diced tomatoes for tomato sauce :)

tigerfish said...

I can only tell you this - I am HUNGRY! VERY HUNGRY!!!

test it comm said...

Now that is a tasty looking way to use the lamb sausage. I like the use of the cinnamon.