Arnavut Cigeri-albanian Lamb Liver |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 5 Minutes |
Ready In: 5 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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.. this recipe is from ottoman empires but they learned many years ago from albanians which is why this mezes name is still albanian liver.. The Cuisine of Albania the country bordering Greece, Montenegro, Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia. Read more . The one with a coastline on the Adriatic Sea to the west and the Ionian Sea to the southwest. If not let me tell you about the food they eat. The cuisine of Albania, as with most Mediterranean and Balkan nations, has been strongly influenced by its long history.Albania has been occupied by Greece, Italy and the Ottoman Turks and each group has left its mark on Albanian cuisine. Milk from goats and ewes is made into kos and many varieties of cheeses. Oranges, lemons, and figs are the main available fruits; some grapes and wild berries are made into fermented beverages. Mixed garden vegetables are used seasonally and as available. These include: cucumbers, onions, peppers, eggplants, zucchini, marrows, okra, squash (kungull), potatoes, and tomatoes. With the establishment of canneries, there has been a gradual increase in the consumption of canned fruits and vegetables in the Albanian food. The favored meats are are lamb and mutton and sometimes chicken. Liver is considered a delicacy Albanian food. Meats are usually prepared in types of stews or as pilafs with rice, or skewered and roasted over open fires. There is also a variety of nuts grown locally: walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, and hazelnuts. These may be used as nibbles, crushed (sometimes with garlic), and as sauces over meats and/or vegetables. The most successful crops of the Albanian farmer have for centuries been grains. Predominantly corn, but also wheat, rye, oats, and barley are harvested. These grains have been used to produce a variety of flours for breads that are consumed mainly in coastal areas and cities. But the main type of bread - indeed the main food - is a flat pancake-shaped corn bread broken into pieces and enjoyed with kos or cheese. Olive oil is the main type of fat used everywhere. Albanians enjoy very sweet and rich desserts made with nuts and syrupy sauces. The combination of thin, crisp pastries (identical to the Greek phyllo) with nuts, sugar or honey, cinnamon, and cloves, and finished with a heavy syrup, or very sweet puddings, are as beloved by the Albanians as they are by the Turks and Greeks. People who favor very sweet desserts will almost certainly also enjoy highly seasoned Albanian food, and the Albanians are no exception. Generous portions of garlic and onions, tart touches of lemon juice or lemon grating, and the more subtle enhancement of dill and parsley as well as cinnamon and cloves waft through Albanian food. The combination of crushed or chopped nuts with garlic and oil, to be served with greens or chicken, as well as the combination of nuts and raisins either for nibbling or as part of exotic sauces, are all typically Albanian food. The main meal is lunch which is usually accompanied by a salad of fresh vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, and olives dressed with olive oil, vinegar and salt. Seafood specialties are common in the coastal areas of Durres, Vlore and Sarande. Some of their specialties are: Fërgesë of Tirana with veal a dish made with veal, cottage or feta cheese, onions and spices, Qofte Te Ferguara fried meatballs made of lamb, beef or chicken, Tave Kosi baked lamb with yogurt sauce, Gjelle Me Arra veal or chicken with walnuts, Byrek Shqiptar Me Perime an Albanian vegetable pie with phylo dough, spinach, feta cheese and chopped green onions, Tave Me Prech leek casserole baked with ground beef, Jamime Fasule or bean yahni soup with white beans, onion, tomato sauce, chopped parsley, mint and spices, Turli Perimesh a main dish of mixed vegetables such as peppers, eggplant, okra, zucchini, potatoes etc. with chopped onions, tomatoes and parsley added, Mish Qingjji Me Barbunja veal with large lima beans, Eomlek rabbit casserole with onions and wine, Qafte Me Veze Dhe Limon ground lamb meatballs in an egg and lemon sauce, Speca Te Mbushura stuffed peppers with or without ground meat, rice, chopped dill, parsley and tomato puree and as an appetizer Tarator fried eggplant, zucchini and green peppers with plain yogurt. some of albanian recipes Fërgesë of Tirana with veal, Fergesë e Tiranës me Mish Viçi, is an Albanian dish. Fried Meatballs (Qofte Te Ferguara) Spinach Pie (Albanian Name: Byrek me spinaq) Ingredients:
1 onion, skinned and thinly sliced |
1 lb liver, lamb, gristle removed |
2 tbsp flour |
1 tbsp paprika - divided use |
4 tbsp olive oil |
2 clove garlic, skinned and crushed |
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped, for garnish |
Directions:
1. Arrange the sliced onion on a serving plate. Wash the liver, pat dry, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces. 2. Place the flour and half the paprika in a bowl and mix well. Add the liver pieces and toss until well coated. 3. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the liver pieces and fry 2-3 minutes, turning over a few times. Do not overcook - the pieces of meat should still be faintly pink and juicy inside. Remove liver with a slotted spoon and arrange on the onion slices. 4. Pour off all but 3 Tbsp of the oil. Add the remaining paprika and the garlic and fry for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour this paprika-garlic mixture over the liver and set aside to cool. 5. Note: This is the original style of this meal, but if you want to garnish, you can dice and fry 1 potato and 1 carrot and them add to the liver. 6. Fast, easy. No lamb liver so just used beef liver, from the critter next door, received from the neighbor at slaughter time. Actually white onion used. Hungarian paprika, and very flavor full. Timing is as given, but a bit on the short side for frying the liver pieces, to keep that faintly pink and juicy state. 7. This is allowed to cool. I expect it was derived as an appetizer, and the basically just above room temperature serving was a good idea, even if it was, for us, the meat of the meal - served with yogurt purslane salads and the eggplant mashed ,.. |
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