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Tavë kosi
Elbasan-style baked lamb with rice under a yogurt custard
Elbasan, in central Albania, claims tavë kosi as its own and serves it on Dita e Verës, the spring festival in March, though families across Albania and Kosovo bake it all year. Pieces of lamb on the bone are browned with garlic and a little rice, then covered with a thick custard of tangy yogurt, eggs and a butter-flour roux and baked until puffed and golden on top. Inside, the custard stays soft and slightly sour against the rich meat. A classic slip is using thin, low-fat yogurt, which splits in the oven; use full-fat strained yogurt. Chef's tip: let the yogurt come to room temperature and whisk the warm roux in slowly, so the custard stays smooth.
- Total time
- 135 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the lamb
For the yogurt custard
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Season 2 ⅝ lb lamb shoulder or neck on the bone with 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Melt 1 ⅜ oz butter in a wide ovenproof pan or casserole and brown the lamb on all sides over a medium-high heat, about 10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Add 4 garlic cloves and 1 tsp dried oregano and cook 1 minute, then pour in 1 ¾ cups hot water. Cover and simmer gently for 50 minutes, until the lamb is almost tender.
50 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan). Scatter 2 ⅞ oz short-grain rice around the lamb and cook for 10 minutes more, until most liquid is absorbed; transfer to a baking dish if your pan is not ovenproof.
10 minStep 4: For the custard, melt 2 ⅛ oz butter, stir in 2 ⅛ oz plain flour and cook 2 minutes over a low heat without browning. Take off the heat and let cool 5 minutes.
7 minStep 5: Whisk 1 ¾ lb full-fat Greek yogurt, 4 eggs, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and 1 tsp salt together, then whisk in the warm roux little by little until smooth.
Step 6: Pour the custard over the lamb and rice. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until puffed, set in the middle (no wobble) and deep golden on top. The lamb should be tender enough to pull from the bone.
40 minStep 7: Rest 10 minutes before serving so the custard firms. Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat until piping hot.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 40 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tavë kosi take?
- About 135 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 110 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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