Chtitha

Ingredients

Dersa base

• 6garlic cloves
• 1 tspcoarse salt
• 1 tbspsweet paprika
• 1 tbspground cumin
• 1 tspground caraway (optional)
• 3 tbspolive oil

Stew

• 600 glamb liver, membrane removed, cut into 2 cm cubes
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsptomato puree
• 2ripe tomatoes, grated
• 2fresh red chillies, split
• 1 tspharissa (optional)
• 1bay leaf
• 350 mlwater
• salt

To serve

• chopped flat-leaf parsley
• kesra or crusty bread

Directions

1. Pound the garlic with the coarse salt to a smooth paste in a mortar, then work in the paprika, cumin and caraway and loosen with the olive oil to make the dersa.
2. Heat the 3 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat and sear the liver cubes in a single layer for 90 seconds a side, just until browned outside and still rosy within, then lift them out and set aside.
3. Lower the heat, add the onion to the same pan and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until soft and beginning to turn gold.
4. Stir in the dersa and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until the paprika darkens a shade and the oil at the edge of the pan runs red; this frying step is what separates chtitha from a plain tomato stew.
5. Add the tomato puree and cook it out for 2 minutes, then the grated tomatoes, chillies and bay leaf, and let the sauce bubble for 5 minutes until it looks glossy rather than raw.
6. Pour in the water, season with salt, and simmer uncovered over low heat for 20 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by a third and coats a spoon.
7. Slide the liver and any resting juices back in and simmer 5 minutes more, no longer; overcooked liver goes grainy and dry.
8. Taste for salt and heat, scatter with parsley and serve straight from the pan with bread to mop the red sauce.

Technique

• Chtitha means the red sauce itself, not the protein: dersa, paprika, tomato and chilli. Liver is the famous version, but the same sauce carries poultry, white beans or fried potatoes.
• Do not salt the liver before searing; salt draws out moisture and it will steam grey instead of browning.
• The paprika must be fried but never scorched. If it smells acrid it has burnt and the sauce will be bitter throughout, so start again.

Substitutions

• No lamb liver: calf liver is milder and behaves the same, or use 600 g cooked white beans for the widespread meat-free chtitha loubia.
• Fresh chillies can be replaced by 1 to 2 tsp harissa stirred in with the tomato puree.

Variations

• Chtitha kebda, with liver, is the Algiers standard and a Ramadan fixture.
• Chtitha djedj uses poultry pieces browned then simmered 35 minutes in the same sauce.
• Chtitha batata adds thick chips of fried potato in the last 10 minutes.

History

Built on dersa, the pounded garlic and chilli paste that underpins much Algerian home cooking.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chtitha?

Chtitha is a main from Algeria: red pepper and tomato stew, most often made with liver, chicken or beans. Built on dersa, the pounded garlic and chilli paste that underpins much Algerian home cooking.

How long does Chtitha take to make?

Chtitha takes 20 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Chtitha?

Yes, within limits. No lamb liver: calf liver is milder and behaves the same, or use 600 g cooked white beans for the widespread meat-free chtitha loubia. Fresh chillies can be replaced by 1 to 2 tsp harissa stirred in with the tomato puree.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chtitha?

Add the tomato puree and cook it out for 2 minutes, then the grated tomatoes, chillies and bay leaf, and let the sauce bubble for 5 minutes until it looks glossy rather than raw.