Albania - Tave Kosi

Thank you all for such an amazingly positive response from last week's post! I am excited to continue my world food journey, this week with Albania.

This week is the first time in my ‘Abroad Cooks’ journey that I had no idea what the meal would taste like! Similar to travelling to a new country, there is something adventurous about throwing yourself into cooking a meal with no idea how it will taste.

This week’s meal is Albania’s national dish: Tave Kosi, which is described as a sour milk casserole (which didn’t sound particularly appetising!). It was traditionally made with sour milk but is now made with yoghurt and eggs instead. The lamb, oregano and yoghurt is representative of Albania’s Mediterranean cuisine. Tave Kosi is described as a typical Albanian comfort food. One that you might ask your mum to make when you return home. I have been moved out of home for almost 2 years now. When I first moved out I tried making what I consider my comfort food: Tuna Mornay. It was okay, but it is never going to be the same as mum makes it. I think that is part of what makes it ‘comfort food’.

The Republic of Albania is situated in south-eastern Europe and home to Mother Teresa. This Nobel Peace Prize recipient epitomises the Albanian custom of welcoming guests and ensuring their comfort. Traditional Albanians abide by a code (The Kanun) which is based on four pillars: Honour, Right of Conduct, Kin Loyalty and Hospitality. While some may consider this code archaic and problematic, it has also been suggested that Albanians’ kindness toward strangers stems from the pillar of hospitality. According to a BBC article, “Albania was one of a few European countries to emerge with a larger Jewish population by the end of WWII than at the start, saving nearly all of its original Jews while offering refuge to more than 2,000 others from surrounding countries”.

Tave Kosi

Ingredients:

• 50g butter
• ½ Tbs oil
• 600g lamb, cut into 3cm pieces
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 Tbs rice 
• 1 ½ Tbs oregano leaves
• 2 Tbs plain flour
• 325g (1 ¼ cups) greek yoghurt
• 2 eggs

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

Heat 10g of butter and ½ Tbs oil in a fry pan over medium heat. 

Chop lamb into 3cm pieces and season with salt and pepper. Add lamb to pan and cook for 5 mins or until browned on the outside. 

Add 1 clove of garlic to the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes. 

Then add 200 ml water. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on a low heat for 1 hour (top up water if needed).

Drain off liquid leaving 150ml, stir through 2 Tbs rice and 1 ½ Tbs oregano. Transfer to a casserole dish. 

Heat remaining 40g of butter in a small saucepan. Add 2 Tbs flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Whisk 325g yoghurt and 2 eggs until combined. Add in flour mixture and whisk again. 

Pour yoghurt mixture over the lamb and bake in oven for 40 minutes or until golden.

✸✸✸✸

I served our Tave Kosi with a green salad and it would probably serve 3-4 people.

The meal was so good and filling but we just kept eating it! The lamb was juicy and tender, and was beautifully complemented by the creamy yoghurt topping. The yoghurt tasted almost like a baked cheese. The meal takes a bit of time to make (2hrs) but it is pretty easy, and most of that time can be spent doing other things. Peter’s review is that this meal is “another thumbs up!”

A creamy and comforting meal, 194 to go. Next stop on my world tour: Algeria.