~592 cal · 42g protein · 22g carbs · 36g fat (estimated, per serving)
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Baked lamb under a golden set yogurt custard
🇦🇱 Tirana
Tavë kosi ("yogurt bake") is Albania’s national dish, born in Elbasan and spread everywhere — chunks of lamb blanketed in a custard of yogurt, egg, and a little flour that sets into something between a soufflé and a savory cheesecake.
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🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 5 —
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1.5 lbs lamb shoulder, cubed
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1/2 cup short-grain rice
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2 cups plain yogurt
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3 eggs
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3 tbsp + 3 tbsp butter + flour
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3 cloves garlic
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1 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
1
Brown the lamb (or mushrooms and beans) with garlic and oregano; nestle into a baking dish with the raw rice and a cup of water. Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.
2
Make a light roux with the butter and flour; whisk it off the heat into the yogurt and eggs (or slurries) with salt.
3
Pour the custard over the lamb and rice, letting it seep through.
4
Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes until the top is set, puffed, and golden.
5
Rest 15 minutes so it firms enough to cut into squares. Serve warm with a simple salad.
Elbasan/Tirana tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
Tirana. Where lamb and rice bake under a tangy yogurt custard.
🗺️
Albania. Adriatic-Balkan cooking baked under yogurt and egg.
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Europe. Village recipes guarded for generations.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
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Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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