ARNAVUT CIGERI Lamb liver with red pepper, Albanian Style To serve 4 as a first course 2 small onions, peeled, sliced 7 inch thick and separated into rings 1 tablespoon plus 3 teaspoon salt 3 cup finely chopped parsley, preferably flat-leaf parsley 3 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper, 1 pound lamb's liver, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes, or substitute 1 pound calf's liver, trimmed and cubed, 3 cup raki, or substitute any other anise-flavored aperitif such as ouzo or Pernod 3 cup flour, k cup olive oil, Freshly ground black pepper, 2 long red Italian-type peppers, cut in half, deribbed, seeded and cut lengthwise into 7- inch-wide strips Place the onion rings in a sieve or colander, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the salt, and turn them about with a spoon to coat them evenly. Let them rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then rinse under warm running water and squeeze them gently but completely dry. In a large bowl, toss the onions, parsley and red pepper together until well mixed. Set aside. Drop the liver into a bowl, pour in the raki and stir together for a few seconds. Then pour off the raki. Toss the liver and flour together in another bowl, place the liver in a sieve and shake through all the excess flour. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over high heat until a light haze forms above it. Add the liver and stir it about in the hot oil for 1 or 2 minutes, or until the cubes are lightly browned. Stir in the remaining 3 teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of pepper. With a slotted spoon, transfer the liver to paper towels to drain. Mound the liver in the center of a heated platter, arrange the onion-ring mixture and red pepper strips around it and serve at once. SIGARA BOREGI Sigaret Burek To make 14 1lb. Tulum or Feta cheese, ½ cup finaly chopped parsley, 14 sheets triangle filo dough, vegetable or conola oil for deep frying. Crumble the cheese into a small bowl, add the parsley and mash them together with a fork until blended a smooth paste. Place 2 tea spoons of the cheese mixture in the center of the short side of the triangle and spread the cheese into a strip about 3 inch long and ½ inch wide reaching to within about 1 inch of the shorth edge of the dough. Fold the short side on the cheese and fold the long edges toward the center on the cheese and then roll up the filo dough into tight cylinder and wet the end for close it. The finished Sigarets will be about 3-4 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. In a heavy deep frying pan heat 2 inches of oil, fry 4 -5 sigaras at a time, turning them once with a slotted spoon until golden brown on all sides. Serve the sigaras hot, as a first course. CERKEZ TAVUGU Cold shredded chicken with walnut sauce To serve 6 to 8 3- to 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 6 or 8 serving pieces, 3 cups water 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 1/2 cups shelled walnuts, 1/2 cup finely chopped onions, 3 slices white homemade- type bread, 1 teaspoon paprika, freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, preferably flat-leaf parsley In a 4- to 5-quart saucepan, combine the chicken, water and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender but not falling apart. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and boil the stock rapidly, uncovered, over high heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups. Combine the walnuts, onions and stock in the jar of an electric blender and blend at high speed for 15 seconds. Add the bread, 1/2 teaspoon of the paprika, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of pepper, and blend at high speed until the mixture becomes a smooth puree. (To make the walnut puree by hand, pulverize the nuts with a nut grinder or mortar and pestle. Transfer them to a bowl, add the onions, and, with the back of a spoon, mash them together to a smooth paste. Tear and shred the bread with a fork, then mash it into the nuts. Beat in the hot stock, a few tablespoons at a time, and continue beating until the mixture is smooth and thick enough to hold its shape almost solidly in a spoon.) When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin with a small knife or your fingers and cut or pull the meat away from the bones. Discard the bones, and cut the chicken meat into strips about 1/8 inch wide and 1 to 1 1/2 inches long. Place the chicken in a bowl and add 1 1/2 cups of the walnut sauce, tossing the chicken about with a spoon to coat the pieces well. Mound the chicken on a platter, mask the top with the remaining sauce, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of paprika. Garnish with parsley if desired. NOTE: A more traditional garnish for Cerkez Tavugu is made from paprika and the oil of ground walnuts. For this, pulverize 1/4 cup of shelled walnuts with 1/2 teaspoon of paprika in a mortar and pestle. Place a spoonful of the mixture at a time in a garlic press, and squeeze the oil over the chicken. MIDYA DOLMASI Cold steamed mussels stufffed with rice and pine nuts To serve 10 to 12 as a first course 1 cup olive oil, 3 cups finely chopped onions, 1/2 cup pine nuts (pignolia), 1 1/2 cups, uncooked long- or medium-grain rice, 1/4 cup dried currants, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 teaspoon salt, 4 cups water, 6 dozen mussels in their shells In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Add the onions and, stirring frequently, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are soft and lightly browned. Stir in the pine nuts, cook for 2 or 3 minutes, then add the rice, currants, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Pour in 2 cups of the water and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly and simmer for 20 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Set aside off the heat. Meanwhile, scrub the mussels with a stif~ brush or stainless-steel mesh scouring pad under cold running water. With a small, sharp knife, open them one at a time in the following fashion: Holding the mussel firmly in one hand, cut along the joint between the two shells, starting at the broadest end and leaving them hinged together at the narrow end. Carefully pry the mussel open and cut and pull off the black ropelike tufts from the shell. Place about 1 tablespoon of the stuffing mixture in each mussel, close the shells and hold them firmly together by looping a short length of string around the center two or three times, then tying it tightly in place. Arrange the mussels in two layers in a large, heavy casserole, pour in the re- maining 2 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly and steam for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and let the mussels cool to room temperature in the casserole. Then remove the mussels from the casserole with a slotted spoon and cut off the strings. Discard the cooking liquid. Arrange the mussels on a large platter or individual serving plates and serve chilled or at room temperature. YALANCI DOLMA Grape leaves with rice, pine nuts and currant stuffing To make 30 6 tablespoons olive oil, 1 cup finely chopped onions, 1/3 cup uncooked long- or mediumgrain white rice, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons pine nuts (pignolia), 2 tablespoons dried currants, 40 preserved grape leaves, 2 tablespoons cold water, lemon wedges In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Add the onions and, stirring frequently, cook for 5 minutes, or until they are soft and transparent but not brown. Add the rice and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the grains are coated with oil. Do not let them brown. Pour in the water, add the salt and a few grindings of pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid. In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil and in it cook the pine nuts until they are a delicate brown. Add them to the rice, then stir in the currants. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil over high heat. Drop in the grape leaves and immediately turn off the heat. Let the leaves soak for 1 minute, then drain them in a sieve and plunge them into a bowl or pan of cold water to cool them quickly. Gently separate the leaves and spread them, dull sides up, on paper towels to drain. Layer the bottom of a heavy 2- to 3-quart casserole with 10 of the leaves. Stuff each of the remaining 30 leaves with about 1 tablespoon of the rice mixture. Spreat the grape leave, dull side up, flate on a plate and place a tablespoon of the stuffing on the center of the leave. Turn up the stem end of the leave and then, one at a time, fold over each of the sides to enclose the stuffing complatelly. Starting again at the stem end, roll the grape leave gently but firmly into a compact cylinder. The surfaces of the leave will cling together sufficiently to hold the grape leaves in shape. Stack the stuffed leaves, side by side and seam sides down, in layers in the casserole and sprinkle them with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the cold water. Place the casserole over high heat for 3 minutes, reduce the heat to low and simmer, tightly covered, for 50 minutes. Then uncover and cool to room temperature. To serve, arrange the stuffed grape leaves attractively on a platter or individual plates and garnish with lemon wedges.