Europe: Albania: Albanian Tav Kosi (Lamb And Yogurt Casserole)
IGREDIENTS:
.5 pounds lamb shoulder (or any other cut), trimmed and cut into 1½ inch pieces
5 tablespoons grass-fed butter
2 tablespoons pastry flour
¼ cup arborio (risotto) or any other short grain rice
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup finely chopped oregano
¼ cup finely chopped mint
3–4 cups Greek yogurt depending on the size of your baking dish
4 eggs, beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIOINS:
Stage 1 – Pre-Cook the Lamb and Rice
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Take a small baking dish and line it with 1 tablespoon of your butter
Place your chunks of lamb into the baking dish and season well with salt and pepper
Once the oven is heated and ready to go, pop the baking dish with your lamb in for ~40-45 minutes
While the lamb is baking in the oven, take a small pot for your rice. Add ½ cup of water to the pot and bring to a boil.
Pre-cook your rice for ~7 minutes as most of the water soaks up, then take the pot off the heat and set your pre-cooked rice aside
Take the baking dish out once the lamb has baked, then drain the liquid that’s accumulated in the baking pan
Set your lamb pieces aside for the time being. Also, don’t turn the oven off as you’ll use it soon again
Stage 2 – Making the Roux
In a small saucepot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat
Once the butter is nice and heated, add your garlic and oregano and cook for 1 minute
As the garlic starts to brown, add a dash of water and 1 tablespoon of your flour in. A thick paste should start to form as you whisk the flour in
Once added and thickened, add the accumulated liquid from the baked lamb into the stockpot. Whisk well into the thickened paste
Add your last tablespoon into the mixture to thicken it once more. Whisk it well in, then take the stockpot off the heat and let cool for ~5 minutes
Stage 3 – Making Yogurt Sauce
Once your roux has cooled to slightly above room temperature, add the Greek yogurt and beaten eggs into the saucepot
Fold all the ingredients thoroughly together with one another to get a slightly runny, yellowish sauce
Stage 4 – Assembling it Together
In your baking pan, spread your lamb pieces evenly around
Next, sprinkle the rice over the lamb and into the empty spaces
Then, pour the yogurt sauce over the lamb and rice until the baking dish is fully covered
Finally, cut your last ½ tablespoon of butter into smaller pieces and distribute over the top. Once distributed, place the baking dish into your oven again and bake for 40-45 minutes
Once golden brown, remove from the oven, let cool and sprinkle the fresh mint over top