Ciğer Kebabı

A cube of tail fat between every piece of liver, because liver has none of its own and dries in ninety seconds.

Lamb. Not vegetarian — contains lamb.

Ingredients

• 700 g lamb liver, in 3 cm cubes
• 250 g lamb tail fat, in 2 cm cubes
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
• flat skewers
• flatbread, raw onion and parsley, to serve

Method

1. A CUBE OF TAIL FAT GOES BETWEEN EVERY PIECE OF LIVER, because liver has none of its own. This is the whole technique. Lamb liver is almost pure protein and water -- there is no marbling, nothing to render -- and over embers it goes from raw to dry and granular in about ninety seconds with no tender stage in between. Alternated with fat, every piece is basted continuously from both sides for the two or three minutes it needs, and it comes off soft. Threaded on its own, liver on a skewer is a disappointment however carefully it is watched, and the fat is not a garnish or a flavouring but the thing that makes the dish possible.
2. THE LIVER IS NOT MARINATED AND NOT SALTED UNTIL IT IS ON THE SKEWER. Salt draws water out of liver fast and the surface goes wet and grey, which then steams instead of searing. Acid is worse: lemon or vinegar on raw liver firms and toughens the outside before it sees the fire. It goes on bare, and the cumin, salt and pepper are scattered over the threaded skewers at the last moment.
3. THE MEMBRANE IS PEELED OFF AND THE TUBES CUT OUT. The thin skin shrinks hard over heat and curls the cube; the tubes stay rubbery whatever happens. Both come away easily with a small knife and the difference is obvious in the mouth.
4. THE FIRE IS HOTTER THAN FOR LAMB AND THE TIME IS SHORTER. Proper embers with real heat, and two to three minutes total. The aim is a seared outside and a centre that is still just blushing; a liver kebab cooked through is a liver kebab wasted.
5. IT IS EATEN STRAIGHT OFF THE SKEWER AND DOES NOT WAIT. Liver firms as it cools faster than any other meat here, and resting it -- which helps a lamb şiş -- ruins this. The bread and onion are on the table before the skewers go on the fire.
6. The liver membrane PEELED OFF and any tubes cut out, then cut into even 3 cm cubes.
7. The tail fat cut into 2 cm cubes.
8. Threaded onto FLAT skewers, ALTERNATING: liver, fat, liver, fat, all the way along.
9. NOT marinated and NOT salted until now.
10. The cumin, salt, pepper and pepper flakes scattered over the threaded skewers.
11. The charcoal burned down to embers with real heat -- a hand bearable above them for about 2 seconds.
12. The flatbread, onion and parsley put on the table FIRST.
13. The skewers laid on and cooked 1 MINUTE without moving.
14. TURNED and given 1 to 1½ MINUTES more.
15. TESTED by cutting one cube: it should be seared outside and still faintly pink at the centre.
16. NOT rested. Slid straight off the skewer onto the flatbread.
17. Eaten at once with the raw onion and parsley.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Turkey · All recipes