Tunisian · main

Ojja Merguez

Ojja Merguez reads richness 5.0, allium 4.2 and umami 4.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Tunisian main, about 43 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.4 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.1 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.5 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.7 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.4 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 5.0 · Allium 4.2 · Umami 4.0 · Salinity 3.8 · Sweetness 2.4 · Sourness 2.4 · Heat 2.3 · Herbaceous 2.2 · Fruity 2.2 · Earthy 1.5 · Bitterness 1.3 · Warm Spice 1.3 · Nutty 1.1 · Floral 1.0 · Citrus 0.5

What's in it (15)

• olive oil — 41 g
• merguez sausage — 300 g
• onion — 110 g
• garlic — 12 g
• green bell peppers — 200 g
• tomatoes — 700 g
• harissa — 30 g
• tomato paste — 15 g
• tabil — 5 g
• sweet paprika — 5 g
• salt — 5 g
• eggs — 600 g
• water — 125 g
• flat-leaf parsley — 30 g
• baguette — 100 g

Time & effort: about 43 min (41 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 71 kcal, 4.3 g protein, 2.8 g fat, 6.7 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Heat the olive oil in a wide shallow pan and fry the merguez 6 minutes over medium-high heat until browned and the red fat has run out into the oil. That coloured fat is the base of the sauce.
2. Add the onion and green peppers and cook 8 minutes until soft.
3. Add the garlic and stir 1 minute.
4. Add the harissa, tomato paste, tabil and paprika and fry 2 minutes in the oil. Tunisia is the spicy corner of the Maghreb and harissa here is a cooking ingredient, not a table sauce - two tablespoons goes into the pan and stays there.
5. Add the grated tomatoes and the water and simmer 20 minutes over medium heat, until the sauce has reduced and thickened enough to hold the shape of a spoon dragged through it.
6. Season with salt, then make six wells and crack an egg into each. Cover and poach 6 minutes over low heat, until the whites are set and the yolks still soft.
7. Scatter with parsley and bring the pan to the table with the baguette for mopping.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Butter Chicken Meatballs — Indian
• Skillet Chicken Curry with Peppers — Indian
• Cheese-Stuffed Chile Rellenos — Mexican
• Peas and Paneer Curry (Matar Paneer) — Indian
• Palak Paneer with Garlic Naan — Indian

Keep reading: what richness, allium, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.