Tave Kosi 🐑 Albanian Yogurt-Baked Lamb 🇦🇱 (Tave Kosi)

Description

Seared lamb baked under a tangy yogurt–egg custard with a whisper of mint—golden top, spoon-tender meat, and buttery rice at the bottom. 🍋🫶

Hook: Sear, whisk, and bake—silky, no-curdle yogurt casserole in about an hour. ⚡

Ingredients

• 🥘 Lamb & Rice
• 🐑 Lamb shoulder/leg, boneless chunks: 800 g (≈1.8 lb)
• 🧂 Salt: to taste (≈10 g / 1¾ tsp)
• ⚫ Black pepper: 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🧈 Butter (or ghee), for searing: 30 g (2 tbsp / 1.1 oz)
• 🫒 Olive oil: 15 ml (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• 🧄 Garlic, minced: 9 g (3 cloves / 0.32 oz)
• 🌾 White rice, rinsed: 60 g (⅓ cup / 2.1 oz)
• 💧 Water or light stock: 300 ml (1¼ cups / 10 fl oz)
• 🥣 Yogurt Custard
• 🥛 Plain whole-milk yogurt: 700 g (3 cups / 24.7 oz)
• 🥚 Eggs: 3 large (≈150 g / 5.3 oz)
• 🌿 Dried mint (classic): 1 g (1 tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🌾 All-purpose flour (stabilizes): 30 g (¼ cup / 1.1 oz)
• 🧂 Salt: 3 g (½ tsp / 0.11 oz)
• 🫒 Olive oil (drizzle on top): 15 ml (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Sear lamb: Heat 🧈 butter + 🫒 oil in a skillet. Season 🐑 lamb with 🧂 and ⚫; sear 6–8 min until browned. Stir in 🧄 garlic 30 sec.
2. 2️⃣ Par-cook rice: Add 🌾 rice and toast 1 min in the lamb fat. Pour in 💧 water/stock; simmer 5 min (rice half-cooked). Scrape into a 25–28 cm / 10–11 in baking dish.
3. 3️⃣ Make custard: Whisk 🥚 eggs with 🌾 flour until smooth; whisk in 🥛 yogurt, 🌿 mint, and 🧂 salt.
4. 4️⃣ Combine: Nestle the seared lamb into the rice. Pour the yogurt custard all over; tap the dish to level. Drizzle the top with 🫒 oil.
5. 5️⃣ Bake: Cook at 190°C / 375°F 30–35 min until puffed and deep golden with a slight wobble. Rest 10 min before serving.

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 20 min
🔥 Cook: 40–45 min
⏳ Total: ~1 h

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