Fërgesë
A baked Albanian dish of peppers and tomatoes, its name from the Albanian verb 'fërgoj,' to fry, especially associated with Tirana alongside Elbasan and Berat. Two genuine seasonal versions exist: a simple summer one of just roasted peppers, tomatoes, and garlic, and a winter version that adds gjizë, a salty Albanian curd cheese, which is the version most people mean by the name — a heartier winter variant adds liver for a more substantial meal. Feta or cream cheese are common but inauthentic substitutes for gjizë; a well-drained cottage cheese or ricotta salata comes closer to its crumbly texture.
VegetarianMeat-optional
⚠ Contains: Dairy. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 6 red bell peppers
- 4 tomatoes, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 300g gjizë (or well-drained cottage cheese or ricotta salata)
- Butter or oil
- Chicken or lamb liver, diced (optional, winter variant)
Steps
- Roast or pan-fry the peppers until softened and blistered.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and garlic, and cook down to a thick sauce.
- If using the liver variant, sauté the diced liver first and fold it into the pepper-tomato base.
- Stir in the crumbled gjizë.
- Transfer to a baking dish and bake until bubbling and lightly browned on top.