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Arnavut ciğeri
Crisp fried liver with sumac onions
Arnavut ciğeri: 'Albanian-style' crisp fried lamb's liver with sumac onions
No Istanbul meyhane table in Beyoğlu or Kumkapı is complete without a plate of Arnavut ciğeri: small cubes of lamb's liver dusted in paprika flour and flash-fried until crisp outside and just set within, piled on red onion, parsley and sumac. It is served hot among the cold meze, with toasted bread and a glass of something cold; ayran or şalgam work perfectly. Liver is quick to cook and quick to ruin. Chef's tip: shake off every bit of excess flour and fry in small batches in very hot oil, so the cubes crisp instantly instead of stewing.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the liver
- 1 ⅛ lb lamb's livermembrane removed, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
- 4 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup sunflower oilfor shallow-frying
For the onion salad
- 1 red onionthinly sliced
- 1 tbsp sumac
- 1 oz flat-leaf parsleychopped
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rub 1 red onion with 1 tbsp sumac, 1 oz flat-leaf parsley and 1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper flakes) and spread it over a serving plate.
Step 2: Rinse 1 ⅛ lb lamb's liver in cold water and pat completely dry with kitchen paper.
Step 3: Mix 4 tbsp plain flour, 1 tsp sweet paprika and ½ tsp ground cumin in a bag, add the liver and shake to coat. Tip into a sieve and shake off all the loose flour.
Step 4: Heat ¾ cup sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a high heat until a cube sizzles fiercely. Fry the liver in two or three batches for 2–3 minutes, turning once, until crisp and browned outside and just cooked through, with no pink left in the centre (158°F on a probe thermometer); cut one cube to check. Common mistake: crowding the pan; the liver steams, turns grey and goes rubbery.
8 minStep 5: Drain briefly on kitchen paper, sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and pile onto the onions. Serve at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does arnavut ciğeri take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
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