Albanian liver (Arnavut ciğeri) — fried lamb liver with onion, sumac and potatoes

Arnavut ciğeri — “Albanian liver” — is one of the most beloved appetizers of Turkish cuisine and bears the name of the Albanians who spread it in Ottoman Istanbul. The cubes of lamb liver are quickly fried in hot oil until crispy on the outside and still soft and juicy inside, while the onion salad with sumac gives it its characteristic freshness. It is traditionally served with fried potatoes, tomatoes and pickles.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4):

• 600 g lamb liver (or beef), cleaned of membranes and blood vessels
• 100 g wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp red pepper (paprika)
• Sunflower oil for frying (plenty)
• 2 large potatoes
• 2 red onions, cut into thin rings
• 1 tbsp sumac
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• Pickles to taste

PREPARATION STEPS:

1. Clean the liver of membranes and blood vessels, cut into cubes of about 2 cm and dry well with kitchen paper — this is essential for it to fry up crispy.
2. Mix the flour with salt, black pepper and paprika in a wide bowl.
3. Roll the liver cubes in the flour mixture until fully coated, then shake off excess flour.
4. Cut the potatoes into small cubes and fry in hot oil until golden; drain on kitchen paper.
5. In the same hot oil (170–180 °C) fry the liver cubes in two or three batches, 2–3 minutes each, until crispy on the outside. Do not overcrowd the pan, as the liver will soften instead of frying.
6. Mix the thinly sliced onions with sumac and parsley in a bowl.
7. Serve the hot liver over the fried potatoes, with the onion-sumac salad, tomato slices and pickles on the side.

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4