Ever since Épicerie Boulud opened (yeah, it’s only a week or two), the Accidental Locavore has been looking for an excuse to go shopping there. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the locavore has been way too lazy to pop over to Lincoln Center at 7:00 AM to pick up fresh-from-Daniel croissants. Could be I’m anticipating starting a really bad habit if they’re wonderful (since Lincoln Center and Épicerie Boulud are mere blocks from my apartment) , while on the other hand, the part of me that has spent (not enough) time in France, won’t consider the purchasing of croissants at the end the day.
Tonight was different. My brother was in town and coming over for dinner. Before we made our plans, the locavore had been planning to finish the homemade merguez from the last Chacutepalooza challenge (don’t panic, they had been frozen) paired with another of the wonderful, huge, meaty artichokes the Accidental Locavore has been getting from Whole Foods. I decided to cruise over to Épicerie Boulud to see what could round out the dinner.
Not surprisingly, the place was buzzing, New York being the competitive city it is, especially when it comes to food and restaurants. The locavore headed right to the charcuterie counter, figuring a slab of pate would be just the thing. Along with a small but choice selection of pates, were several fresh sausages, which included merguez.
Always up for a challenge, I thought I would pit my first attempt at merguez against Daniel Boulud (or Gilles Verot, his charcuterie master). My brother didn’t know which was which and the Locavore would cook them together to try to keep it a level playing field.
The results? 
You might be surprised by this, it was essentially a tie. Boulud’s merguez was a little bigger, the meat was more finely ground and they were much spicier. I preferred the fineness of the grind, while my brother liked my slightly coarser grind. We both found the not-as-spicy Locavore’s sausage more to our liking. If my husband had been in on the tasting, or I had made some couscous to go with the merguez, the Épicerie Boulud links might have won for their heat.
I have to tell you that I do feel pretty victorious, considering it was my first (but certainly not last) attempt.
So once again, thanks Mrs. Wheelbarrow for a great merguez recipe!
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Wait until you see what I do with some hot Italians…sausage that is. Coming Monday.
It just make me hungry reading this blog. Congrats on your success in this competition.
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Traditionally merguez is a smaller sausage, however after all the mess with the lamb intestines, I’m happy to switch to a bigger casing! You’ll have to come back for the next batch.
Super tasty and, yes, the cruder grind is more appealing (coming from someone who likes lumpy oatmeal…). But brother is a gourmand and wishes the Locavore’s merguez were prepared in bigger intestines. Those lamb intestines are too tiny. Think mini cocktail franks. Big eaters want big sausage!
It’s soooooo good. I’ve got a small piece that I’m going to use for a new batch. Might just keep them as patties though.
Thanks Ms. Locavore for the very nice shout out. I’m (slightly frantically) trying to find a farm-raised lamb shoulder as I’ve used all my merguez. Your post makes me even more determined. Best regards, Cathy