Elbasan Tava (Baked Lamb with Yogurt)

Tender braised leg of lamb covered with an egg and yogurt sauce and baked until golden on top. A high-protein Turkish bake where lamb meets yogurt.

Ingredients

• 600 g boneless leg of lamb
• 70 g butter
• 600 g (2 1/2 cups) whole milk yogurt
• 100 g (2) eggs
• 40 g (4 tbsp) white flour
• 200 g (3/4 cup) beef broth
• 2 g (1 tsp) thyme
• 2 g (1 tsp) black pepper
• 9 g (1 1/2 tsp) salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the lamb into 4-5 cm pieces. Heat 20 g of the butter in a pot and sear the lamb over medium-high heat for 8 minutes until browned on all sides.

2. 2

   Add the broth, thyme, pepper and half the salt. Cover and simmer on low heat for 60-70 minutes until very tender; transfer the meat to a baking dish and reserve the cooking liquid.

3. 3

   Preheat the oven to 190 °C. Melt 40 g of the butter in the pot and cook the flour over low heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

4. 4

   Whisk in the reserved liquid and cook for 1-2 minutes until thick. Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes.

5. 5

   Whisk the yogurt, eggs and remaining salt, then stir into the warm flour mixture to make a smooth sauce.

6. 6

   Pour the sauce evenly over the lamb. Bake at 190 °C for 30-35 minutes until golden on top and set.

7. 7

   Melt the remaining 10 g butter, drizzle over the top, rest for 10 minutes and serve hot.

Nutrition

Per serving