Arnavut Cigeri - Turkish Liver

Arnavut Cigeri served on a white plate with crispy potatoes, sumac onions, and parsley.

5 from 6 votes

Arnavut Cigeri - Turkish Liver

Arnavut Ciğeri, which translates as Albanian liver, is a Turkish meze of crispy pan-fried liver cubes served with a sumac onion salad and fried potatoes. Ready in 25 minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Albanian, Turkish

Diet: Low Lactose

Servings: people

Calories: 370kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Ingredients

For the Onion Salad

1 small red onion (thinly sliced)
2 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon sumac
½ teaspoon chili flakes (pul biber)
¼ teaspoon salt

For the Liver

1 ⅛ lbs calf or lamb liver (500 grams)
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
vegetable or sunflower oil for frying

Vegetables To Serve With

1 ⅛ lbs diced potatoes (500 grams)
4 Turkish green peppers (or 1 green bell pepper) (roughly sliced)
vegetable or sunflower oil for frying

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the Onion Salad

Slice the red onion and rub it with 1 teaspoon salt to soften and make it more palatable. Place it in a bowl.
Add the chopped parsley, ground sumac and chili flakes (pul biber), and combine well.
Set the salad aside and proceed with preparing the vegetables.

Prepare the Vegetables

Peel and cut the potatoes into ½" (1½ cm) cubes.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the potatoes.
Fry them until golden and crispy and remove them to a plate with a slotted spoon. Do it in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Add the peppers to the same pan and fry them for a few minutes, until slightly softened.
Remove the peppers to the same plate as the potatoes with a slotted spoon and start preparing the liver.

Prepare the Liver

Clean the liver, removing the membrane and any gristly bits.
Cut them into cubes, spread them on a paper towel, and then sprinkle on the vinegar
Combine the flour, baking soda and salt and spread it on a plate.
Toss the cubed liver pieces into the flour mixture, making sure they all have a light coating of the flour mixture.
Heat the oil in a pan on high heat, and add floured liver cubes.
Gently arrange them with a wooden spoon so they all touch the oil evenly. Fry in batches so the pan stays hot.
Cook for a couple of minutes on each side, until they are crispy and browned outside but soft and moist inside.
Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain them on a kitchen paper towel.
Serve immediately on a bed of fried potato cubes and peppers and garnish with red onion & sumac salad.

Notes

This recipe makes 4 portions as a starter or meze, and 2 portions as a main meal.
Don't wash the liver before cooking. Use a paper towel to blot away any blood.
Peel the outer membrane off the liver and remove any gristly or veiny bits before cutting it.
Fry the liver on high heat, a couple of minutes on each side, so it browns and crisps outside while staying soft and moist inside.
Make sure the oil is properly hot before the liver goes in, or the pieces soak up oil instead of crisping.
If you find liver too strong, soak the cubes in milk for 30 minutes before flouring. It makes the taste milder.
Have the onion salad, fried potatoes, and peppers ready before you fry the liver. The liver is served straight from the pan.
Coat the liver cubes evenly in the flour mixture and shake off the excess before frying.
Use corn starch instead of flour for a gluten-free version.
Storage: keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It is good cold or at room temperature. If you want it warm, reheat gently in a pan, not the microwave.

Nutrition