Tavë Kosi — Albanian Baked Lamb with Yogurt

The King of the Albanian Table

If Albania had a national dish, this would be it. Tavë Kosi — tender lamb baked under a blanket of yogurt, egg and a little flour — comes out of the oven golden, custardy and gently tangy. It is the dish served at weddings, holidays and Sunday tables across the country. Humble ingredients, slow heat, and a clay pot. That is all it takes to make something everyone remembers.

Ingredients

Serves 4–6

• Lamb (shoulder or leg), cut into chunks — 800g

• Rice — 60g (a small handful, optional but traditional)

• Butter — 40g

• Olive oil — 2 tbsp

• Garlic — 2 cloves, minced

• Dried oregano (rigon) — 1 tsp

• Salt and black pepper — to taste

For the yogurt topping:

• Plain full-fat yogurt — 500g

• Eggs — 3

• Flour — 2 tbsp

• Salt — a pinch

Method

1. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a pan and brown the lamb chunks on all sides until they have a good colour. Add the garlic and oregano in the last minute. Transfer the lamb to a clay pot or baking dish.

2. Add a splash of water to the pan to lift the browned bits, then pour this over the lamb. Cover with foil and bake at 180°C for about 45 minutes, until the meat is tender. If using rice, scatter it around the lamb halfway through.

3. While the lamb cooks, make the topping. Whisk the eggs, then whisk in the yogurt, flour and a pinch of salt until completely smooth with no lumps. Melt the remaining butter and stir it through.

4. Pour the yogurt mixture evenly over the lamb so it covers everything. Return to the oven, uncovered, at 180°C for 25–30 minutes, until the top is set and golden brown.

5. Let it rest 10 minutes before serving — the topping firms up as it cools. Serve hot, straight from the dish, with bread and a simple salad.

Tips

• A clay pot (tavë) holds heat gently and gives the most authentic result, but any oven dish works.

• The yogurt topping should be smooth before it goes in. Whisk the flour into the eggs first, then add the yogurt — this stops lumps forming.

• Do not skip the resting time. Cutting in too early means the topping runs instead of slicing cleanly.

• Leftovers are excellent cold the next day, the way many Albanians actually prefer it.

Notes

Tavë Kosi is said to have its roots in Elbasan, in central Albania, where it is still made with religious devotion. Over time it spread to every corner of the country and became the dish foreigners are most likely to be served when invited into an Albanian home. If you want to cook it with us — alongside byrek, përshesh and a full spread of traditional starters — you will find it on the menu at our Traditional Albanian Cooking Class in Tirana.