Mediterranean · Lunch · Dinner
Elbasan Tava (Baked Lamb with Yogurt and Egg)
Tavë Elbasani
Tender, garlicky braised lamb baked under a tangy yogurt and egg custard that puffs and turns golden in the oven. This lighter take on Albania's best-loved casserole uses lean lamb leg, low-fat yogurt and only a little butter.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 120 min
- Total
- 135 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 18% · Fat 39% · Protein 43%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 600 glean boneless lamb leg, trimmed and cut into 3 cm cubes
- 1 tbsp14 golive oil
- 3 cloves9 ggarlic, minced
- 1 tspdried oregano
- 1 tsp6 gsalt
- 1/2 tspblack pepper, ground
- 2 cups480 gwater
- 2 tbsp25 glong-grain white rice, uncooked
- 2 tsp10 gunsalted butter
- 3 tbsp24 gall-purpose flour
- 2 cups490 gplain low-fat yogurt
- 3 large150 geggs
- 1 pinchground nutmeg (optional)
Steps
- 1
Take the yogurt and eggs out of the fridge so they reach room temperature while the lamb cooks.
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat.
- 3
Brown the lamb cubes in batches, about 3 minutes per side, returning all the meat to the pot.
- 4
Stir in the garlic, oregano, black pepper and all but a pinch of the salt, and cook for 30 seconds.
- 5
Pour in the water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
- 6
Stir in the rice and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes more until the lamb is very tender and the rice is cooked.
- 7
Heat the oven to 180 °C / 350 °F.
- 8
Ladle out 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the cooking liquid and set it aside.
- 9
Spoon the lamb, rice and remaining liquid into a medium baking dish.
- 10
Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat, add the flour and stir for 2 minutes without letting it brown.
- 11
Whisk the reserved cooking liquid into the flour paste until smooth and thick, then let it cool for 5 minutes.
- 12
Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then whisk in the yogurt, the cooled flour paste, the remaining pinch of salt and the nutmeg if using.
- 13
Pour the yogurt mixture evenly over the lamb.
- 14
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the topping is puffed, set in the centre (71 °C / 160 °F) and golden on top.
- 15
Rest for 10 minutes before serving so the custard firms up.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use 2 tbsp cornstarch instead of the flour for a gluten-free version, cooking it with the reserved liquid until thickened.
- Swap the lamb leg for boneless lamb shoulder for a richer, more traditional result, trimming off visible fat first.
- Replace the low-fat yogurt with plain Greek yogurt thinned with a splash of milk for a thicker, tangier topping.
- Use olive oil in place of the butter in the flour paste if you prefer to skip butter.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a covered container and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating in the oven until steaming hot all the way through. The custard topping turns watery when thawed, so this dish is best not frozen.
Make ahead
Braise the lamb and rice up to 2 days ahead, cool it quickly and refrigerate it with the reserved cooking liquid. On the day, warm the lamb through, then make the yogurt topping fresh and bake as directed.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: GlutenMilkEggs
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (453 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 433 kcal | 96 kcal |
| Protein | 45.9 g | 10.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 19.6 g | 4.3 g |
| of which sugars | 8.8 g | 1.9 g |
| Fiber | 0.5 g | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 19 g | 4.2 g |
| of which saturated | 7.6 g | 1.7 g |
| Sodium | 852 mg | 188 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
