Sunday, January 18, 2009

Tave Tiranse

The great thing about this dish is it is highly adaptable for vegetarians...just don't add the meat. We made it vegetarian-style for one of the people in our group and she was in love with it.

As they say in Albania, Ju befte mire!
(Bon Appetit for those of us who aren't quite hip with Albanian lingo yet.)

2 red peppers, cubed
1 16 oz can of diced tomatoes
1/4 pound of cubed lamb or veal
A large chunk of feta cheese, preferably medium consistency to soft
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil in a deep pot and saute the peppers on low to medium heat. The peppers should saute for about a half hour, till they've softened. Add the cubed meat and allow the meat to brown for about 15-20 minutes. Add the tomatoes with all of their juices and simmer together for another 10 minutes. Finally, add in the crumbled cheese and let everything simmer for 10 additional minutes. Test the meat to see if it's cooked to your taste and test for saltiness. Add freshly cracked pepper. The consistency should be thick, but juicy. Pour the stew into a clay pot and put in the oven to bake for about 10-15 minutes. The dish is done baking when the top has browned, but has remained juicy in the middle. Allow the dish to cool for about 15-20 minutes before eating. Make sure to have some crusty bread on hand to soak up the juices.