THE SNIFF TEST

I first time I tasted merguez was in Morocco in 1967 - I had hitch-hiked from Paris to Tangiers as you did in those days. Somewhere in the south of France my wallet got nicked!

Luckily, Lucy, my red-haired fellow hitcher paid me the £7.00 she owed & we continued... Anyway we spent three weeks in Morocco & made it back home a bit smelly, but unscathed!

A good merguez consists of minced lamb, garlic, salt, hot paprika, black pepper, ground cumin & coriander + harissa.

Yesterday I bought 4 merguez sausages from Ismael my lovely Moroccan butcher - brought them home & subjected them to the "sniff" test - ooiooiooi...

The nose knows best!

Took them back today & got them replaced with these beauties!