Albanian-style liver kebabs

Arnavut cigeri

By: Andy Harris
From: Eat Istanbul
Serves: 4
Photographer: David Loftus

Istanbul has a wonderful restaurant called Canım Ciğerim (‘My liver, my dear’) in Beyoğlu, where the Turkish obsession with liver means there are always queues for a table. Open until 5am, long skewered liver kebabs are grilled and served with fresh mint and rocket, grilled vegetables, onion, sumac and ezme salad (chopped tomato, onion, parsley and pomegranate molasses) and flatbreads that you roll everything up in.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
2 tablespoons	plain flour
1 teaspoon	kirmizi biber flakes
1 teaspoon	dried mint
1 teaspoon	dried oregano
300g	lamb’s liver, cut into pieces
1	red onion, peeled and quartered
4	long green peppers
2	tomatoes, quartered
	sea salt
	freshly ground black pepper

To serve

Quantity	Ingredient
2	flatbreads
small handful	rocket and watercress
	sumac
1	lemon, cut in half

Equipment

Quantity	Ingredient
4	long metal skewers

Method

Put the flour, Kırmızı biber flakes, mint and oregano in a bowl. Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the liver pieces and mix well with your hands.
Grill the onion, green peppers and tomatoes on a hot barbecue or cast-iron griddle pan over medium heat for 7–8 minutes or until tender and beginning to blacken. Thread the liver pieces tightly onto the metal skewers and grill on the hot barbecue or griddle pan over medium heat for 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Place the flatbreads over the liver during the last few minutes of cooking, to warm them.
Place the flatbreads, rocket, watercress and grilled vegetables on a platter. Top with the skewers, sprinkle with sumac and serve with the lemon halves.