This is a meal in itself that doesn’t require anything else. I first tasted merguez sausages, which are made with lamb or beef, deep in the souks of Marrakech when I was there years ago for a photo shoot. It’s a thin, long sausage that is very spicy and adds incredible flavor to any dish. In 2005, I returned to Morocco to film a remake of The Ten Commandments, playing Princess Bithia. The first thing I did was to have a plate of merguez and couscous. Moroccan food is wonderful, with a mix of European, Arab, and African influences. Moroccans use nuts and dried fruits, saffron, preserved lemons, and a number of spices, too. This dish incorporates many of the flavors I love most about this country’s cooking. I use harissa, a hot, red chili paste that usually comes in a tube, like toothpaste. It’s easy to find in Middle Eastern markets, but you can substitute plain red cayenne for it in a pinch (use the same measurement given below for the harissa.) Merguez is also great to serve when you need a sausage for those who don’t eat pork.