Tavë Dheu

Ingredients11

• lamb shoulder, bone-in, cut into pieces1.2 kg
• short-grain rice250 g
• onion2
• butter60 g
• garlic3 cloves
• fresh parsley20 g
• tomato paste1 tbsp
• sweet paprika1 tsp
• salt2 tsp
• black pepper1 tsp
• water700 ml

Method

1. Cut the lamb into large chunks and season with salt and black pepper.
2. Melt the butter in a wide pan and brown the lamb on all sides, then transfer it to a clay baking dish.
3. In the same pan, soften the sliced onions, then stir in the minced garlic, tomato paste, and paprika.
4. Rinse the rice and scatter it over the lamb, then pour the onion mixture and water over the top.
5. Cover the clay dish tightly and bake at 180°C for about 1 hour 30 minutes, until the lamb is tender and the rice has absorbed the liquid.
6. Uncover for the last 10 minutes so the surface colors lightly, then rest briefly and scatter with chopped parsley before serving.