Mish me kos – meat with yoghurt

Also known as tave Elbasan – the dish of Elbasan. Serves 4–6.

Ingredients

• 1kg lean lamb pieces or small lean lamb chops
• 150g butter
• 100g flour
• 700g plain thick yoghurt
• 4 large eggs
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup cooked long-grain rice (optional)
• 1 tablespoon extra butter

Method

Preheat oven to 190°C.

Put meat in shallow frypan and just cover with water. Season with salt. Simmer meat gently until just cooked through. Remove the meat and set aside. Reserve the water.

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from heat and quickly stir in the flour. Return to low heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and quickly stir in the reserved cooking water to make a smooth sauce. Cook gently for a few minutes to thicken. Stir in the yoghurt and cook briefly. Beat the eggs and add to the sauce off the heat. Check seasoning.

Put meat in one layer in wide ceramic dish. Add rice to make a more substantial dish. Pour sauce over the top. Dot top with butter.

Place in upper half of oven. Bake for 15–20 minutes until a crust forms on top of the sauce.