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Kebdah Makly

Lamb’s liver is traditionally used, but calf’s liver is tastier and more tender. It is also more expensive.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 6

Ingredients

6 slices calf’s or lamb’s liver
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for frying
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional garnish)
1 mild onion, very thinly sliced (optional garnish)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut the liver into 1-inch pieces, and remove any sinews or membranes. Mix the olive oil and vinegar with salt and pepper and marinate the liver for 1 hour in this mixture.

    Step 2

    Pour the liver and its marinade into a skillet and cook over high heat for 2 or 3 minutes, turning the pieces over, until brown on the outside but still pink and juicy inside. (Liver dries very quickly and is not good overcooked.)

    Step 3

    Serve hot or cold, sprinkled with lemon juice, and garnished with chopped parsley and onion slices if you like.

  2. Variations

    Step 4

    A Moroccan way is to add a good sprinkling of paprika, and ground cumin and coriander to the frying oil.

    Step 5

    For a Turkish “Albanian-style” liver, cut the liver in small cubes, salt them, and dredge in flour. Deep-fry in about 1/2 inch very hot sunflower or vegetable oil for 1–2 minutes until crisp and brown. Lift out with a slotted spoon and serve sprinkled with ground chili pepper or flakes, or with paprika. Accompany with sliced onions rubbed with salt and sprinkled with 2 teaspoons sumac.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
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