ALBANIAN-STYLE LIVER (ARNAVUT CER): SPICY FRIED LIVER WITH FRIED POTAO AND ONION GARNITURE

FULL RECIPE FOR ALBANIAN STYLE LIVER
Ingredients
700 g lamb or beef liver
cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp flaked red pepper (hot or mild)
1/2 tbsp salt

For the Onion Salad:
450 g (1 large) sweet onion
1 bunch of fresh parsley
2 tbsp sumac
1 tsp salt

For the Potato Fries fried:
1,5 kg Yukon Gold (yellow) potatoes
1 tsp salt
3-4 cups grape seed (or firm sunflower) oil

For serving:
Lemon slices
Tomato slices (optional)
Hot red pepper flakes (optional)
Cumin (optional)

Directions

PREPARATION
Liver
Professionals recommend NOT washing the liver for a softer texture
However, I prefer to lightly rinse the liver and drain it thoroughly for 10-20 minutes before removing its outer tissue
Once excess water is drained, remove the thin membrane that covers the liver
Clean and remove all other tough tissue nodes, because these will be chewy when cooked
Then, dice the liver into 1.5-2 cm cubes
If you dice it into smaller pieces the liver will cook very fast and become dry and bigger pieces do not cook evenly
Once you complete the dicing, set the liver meat aside and let it continue to drain in strainer for 15-20 minutes or until cooking
Potatoes
Potato fries is one of essential garnitures for the Arnavut Cieri.
Peel the potatoes and place into a large bowl of water
Make sure there is enough water to cover the potatoes to prevent browning
Dice the potatoes into 1.5-2 cm cubes (almost same size as the liver)
Then, place the diced potatoes back into the water-filled bowl and set aside
10 minutes before cooking, drain the excess water completely and pat-dry the potato cubes with paper towel if necessary. Otherwise the water will pop in hot oil

Onion Salad
Peel and wash the onion
Cut the onion into tiny half-circles and place into a bowl
Wash, drain, and mince the parsley
Then, mix the onion slices with the minced parsley and 2 tbsp of sumac, and set aside
4-5 minutes before serving, sprinkle 1 tsp of salt over the Onion Salad, to keep its crunchiness

Seasoning
Place cup of flour and 1 tsp of baking soda into a small bowl, set aside
Place 1 tbsp pf red pepper flakes and tbsp of salt into a separate small bowl, set aside

COOKING

Pour 3-4 cups of grape seed oil into a wok (or deep-frying pan), and heat the oil on medium-high heat (to about 200 C)
Test the heat with a piece of potato; Once the potato is surrounded by bubbles, the heat is okay for frying
Add the potatoes and cook until they turn golden
Once the potatoes are cooked, nicely drain the excess oil, salt and season them, and transfer into the serving plate

(!) Cooking tips:
1. Heat the oil to 200 C degree. While frying, temperature must remain around 180 C degree to obtain the desired texture for the potatoes and the liver: soft-on-the-inside and crispy-on-the-outside
2. Cook the potatoes and the liver pieces in small portions to keep the oil heat stable
Right before frying, coat the liver pieces with the flour-baking soda mixture to prevent thick-mushy layer on the liver
Dust-off the excess flour using a sieve
Each piece should be lightly-but thoroughly- coated with flour
Make sure the oil is still hot!
Add the liver pieces into the hot oil
Gently separate the ones that stick together so that each piece is evenly cooked
Cook the liver for 1-2 minutes
When the liver pieces are cooked, take them out of the oil, and place into a sieve or on a paper towel to strain the excess oil
Generously sprinkle a mix of red pepper flakes and salt over the hot liver pieces, lightly toss to combine and serve immediately
Note: if you serve the liver as a Meze dish, transfer it into a container, cover with a lid and let it cool down slowly and remain soft

SERVING
In Turkish Cuisine, Arnavut Cieri is served hot as a dinner menu
It is also served cool as a Meze
Serve the potatoes in a separate bowl to keep them crispy
Place the fried liver, Onion Salad, and lemon slices together in a large serving plate so the flavours begin to interlace

Arnavut Cieri (Fried Liver) should be served fresh; right after cooking is done!!
This is essential to the juicy texture of the liver; a perfect accompaniment to the subtle crunchy of the Onion Salad, and the comforting soft-on-the-inside-crispy-on-the-outside: Quality of golden potato fries!
You can dress the liver with additional red pepper flakes, cumin to adjust the heat to your liking
Fill your plate with fried liver, potatoes, and Onion Salad
Lighten the dish with a few lemon drops
and enjoy this outstanding orchestra of aroma, flavour, and texture on your plate!!!

In Turkey, Fried liver is seldom made at home as well-prepared liver plates are available on the famous stores
But those who have acquired a taste for this dish sorely miss its curious flavours!
Try something new and surprise your taste buds!!

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