Albania--Tave Kosi

Ah, Tave Kosi. So, for anyone who knows me (and let's be frank, if you're reading this, you probably do), you know I hate gooey things.

Like yogurt.

Well, this recipe has 2 pounds of yogurt.

It also had about a pound of butter, which seems a tad much. So, I mixed things up a little bit. I tried to simultaneously limit my exposure to the unhealthiness and to the yogurt. I used a quarter cup of olive oil and about half the amount of eggs and yogurt that it called for. It actually turned out better than I deserved, mostly because the lamb was delicious. The yellow-ish stuff you see in the picture is supposed to come out like a quiche...but it ended up coming out a little more like polenta. Either way, it turned out pretty tasty! Below is my tweaked recipe (the original source is here):

• 1 1/2 pounds lamb leg or shoulder
• salt, to taste
• freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup of Olive Oil, split
• 2 Tablespoons rice
• 2 Tablespoons oregano leaves, fresh (I used the dry stuff--it was fine)
• 1/2 teaspoon; garlic, crushed
• 12 oz. non-fat Greek Yogurt
• 3 eggs; beaten (I also substituted egg whites for two of these eggs)
• 1 Tablespoon flour 

Some instructions:

• Cut meat into 4 serving pieces (I had three bigger pieces and it was fine). Season with salt and pepper to taste. rub olive oil on the lamb and bake at 350 degrees with the oregano and garlic, basting now and then with pan juices, about 40 minutes, or until well browned. Stir rice into pan juices. Remove baking pan from oven and set aside while preparing yogurt sauce.
• Combine yogurt with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in eggs until smooth. Set aside. (this looks like my nightmares)
• Make a quick roux with the flour (mix flour and remaining oil in a pan and stir until smooth and it appears brown-ish. it should take about a minute on medium heat). Add to yogurt mixture and stir until smooth. Pour yogurt sauce in baking pan, stirring it with meat pieces, and bake at 375 degrees 45 minutes. Serve hot

 And this was my end result:

Next up...Andorra. Did you know Andorra was a legit country? Either did I. They've been in the UN since 1993...so that's something. Their national dish is Escudella, which is basically just meat soup (and not gooey in the slightest!). Anyways, onward we go!