Tavë Kosi

Tavë Kosi (Albanian Baked Lamb with Yoghurt Custard)

Albania's national dish: slow-baked lamb and rice under a thick, tangy custard of yoghurt and eggs, scented with oregano. Traditionally cooked in a clay or copper tava over gentle heat, but a Dutch oven in a low oven gives a faithful result at home.

Prep

20 min

Cook

120 min

Total

140 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •700 g (1½ lb) bone-in lamb shoulder or shank, cut into 4–5 cm pieces, bone-in gives the best flavour; ask your butcher to cut it for stewing
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
• •1 whole (1 medium) onion, finely chopped
• •2 cloves garlic, crushed
• •120 g (¾ cup) short-grain white rice, traditionally Albanian rice; rinse until water runs clear
• •500 ml (2 cups) water or light lamb stock, hot
• •500 g (about 2 cups) full-fat plain yoghurt (sheep's milk if you can find it), cow's milk yoghurt is the standard home substitute; drain any loose whey
• •3 whole (3 large) eggs
• •20 g (¼ cup loosely packed) fresh oregano leaves, chopped (or 1 tbsp dried), oregano is the signature herb
• •5 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt
• •2 g (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •5 ml (1 tsp) lemon juice (optional), some households sharpen the custard with a little lemon

Steps

1. 1 Heat the oven to 170°C / 340°F (fan 150°C / 300°F). Position a rack in the lower third.
2. 2 Warm the olive oil in a heavy, wide, oven-proof dish (a clay roaster, copper tava, or 26 cm Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Pat the lamb dry, season with half the salt and pepper, and brown in batches for 3–4 minutes per side until deeply coloured. Transfer to a plate.
3. 3 Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion to the same dish and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft and golden, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
4. 4 Return the lamb and any juices to the dish. Scatter the rinsed rice over and around the meat, then pour in the hot water or stock. Season the liquid lightly with the remaining salt and pepper.
5. 5 Cover tightly (lid or foil) and transfer to the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, until the rice is nearly tender and the lamb is cooked to an internal temperature of at least 75°C / 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
6. 6 While the lamb bakes, make the custard: whisk the yoghurt, eggs, oregano, and the optional lemon juice in a bowl until completely smooth. Season with a pinch of salt.
7. 7 Remove the dish from the oven. Increase oven temperature to 200°C / 400°F (fan 180°C / 375°F). Stir the lamb and rice once, smoothing the surface.
8. 8 Pour the yoghurt–egg mixture evenly over the lamb and rice. It should form a layer about 2 cm / ¾ inch thick, almost covering everything. Return, uncovered, to the oven.
9. 9 Bake for 25–35 minutes, until the top is lightly golden in patches and the centre of the custard is just set — it should wobble slightly when you nudge the dish but feel firm rather than liquid. An instant-read thermometer in the custard should read 70–72°C / 158–160°F.
10. 10 Rest at room temperature for 10 minutes; the custard will finish setting as it sits. Serve straight from the dish, spooning custard, rice, and lamb together.