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You are here: Home / Continent / Europe / Southern Europe / Albania / Albania: Tave Me Presh

Albania: Tave Me Presh

April 7, 2013 by Mike Benayoun 4 Comments

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My wife Anne had originally picked the destination for this week’s European trip. She had received a recipe from one of her blog friends originally from Bosnia. Unfortunately, it was during Passover and I could not find one of the key ingredients.

So, I changed my flight at the last minute and I decided to take the family to another Balkan country: Albania.

Albania is a rather small country with a population of less than 3 million. It is a country of the Balkan Peninsula like Macedonia, Bulgaria and Greece that we visited over the past few weeks.

Its cuisine is rather rich and varied for a country of that size. It is mainly influenced by Turkish, Italian but also Greek and Roman cooking, as the country has only become independent for the first time in the early part of the 20th century after almost 5 centuries under the control of the Ottoman Empire.

Lamb is probably the most widely used meat in the country. Although I decided to make my tave me presh with beef, it can actually be made with lamb as well. Yogurt is also a staple in a number of dishes, including lamb dishes like tavë kosi, Albania’s national dish.

When I picked tave me presh, I knew Anne would love it, and I was right. As soon as the dish came out of the oven, she rushed to get a taste. She had been sick for a week and had barely eaten for a few days. Plus, it was the middle of Passover which is not known to be the most enjoyable culinary experience of the year. After her first bite, she was sold. She even told me she felt like a prisoner who had just been freed after 20 years of captivity. OK, her actual words were a little more… colored… but you got the point.

I personally liked it but I can’t say that I loved it. I wanted to taste the original tave me presh so the only seasoning I used were salt and pepper, which is probably why my Ashkenazi wife loved it. The North African Jew that I am would have definitely kicked it up a notch… or two…

I typically use leeks in one of two ways: steamed with vinaigrette and crumbled hard-boiled egg on top makes a great French salad. Or as a base for soup, which I rarely make… in this Albanian recipe, leek is the star which makes this dish so unique.

I will definitely make this dish again as Anne has already asked for it. However, I will experiment with spices. Oregano? Marjoram? Thyme? I am waiting for your suggestions in the comments.

tave me presh
Print
Tave Me Presh
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
 
Tave me presh is a delicious traditional ground beef and leek casserole from Albania.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Albanian
Servings: 6 people
Author: Mike Benayoun
Ingredients
  • 2 lb leeks (mostly white parts)
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 onion , finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
  • 1 red bell pepper , finely chopped
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • Vegetable oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
Instructions
  1. Sauté the leeks in a little oil for 8-10 minutes. Lay on baking dish.
  2. Sauté the onion in a little oil until translucent. Add ground beef and continue to cook for a few minutes.
  3. Add the beef stock, tomato sauce, red bell pepper, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
  4. Pour the meat mixture over the leeks.
  5. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 F for at least 1 hour. You can leave in the oven for another 10-15 minutes if you prefer the dish more consistent with a little less sauce.

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  • Pakistan: Kofta CurryPakistan: Kofta Curry
  • Afghanistan: Kabuli PulaoAfghanistan: Kabuli Pulao
  • Iran: Ghormeh SabziIran: Ghormeh Sabzi
  • Hungary: Uborka SalátaHungary: Uborka Saláta
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Mike Benayoun
Mike Benayoun
Mike is “the devil” of the 196 flavors' duo. Nicknamed as such by his friends, he is constantly in search of unusual recipes and techniques with impossible to find ingredients. The devil is always pushing the envelope, whether it is with humor or culinary surprises.
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Filed Under: Albania, Europe, Gluten-free, Main Course, Meat, Southern Europe Tagged With: beef, beef broth, bell pepper, leek, onion, tomato paste

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nadav says

    May 2, 2015 at 10:56 pm

    Hi,

    Stumbled across your blog looking for this recipe. I’ve been doing a blog very similar to yours – we do a different country every week – and we are cooking Albanian this week. This is the first recipe we are doing for the week. Will let you know how it turns out.

    Reply
  2. Mike BenayounMike Benayoun says

    May 2, 2015 at 11:11 pm

    Hey Nadav, great to meet you and happy you stumbled on our blog. I am sure you are having as much fun as we are 😉 Please let me know how this turns out. We actually enjoyed this dish at home! Stay in touch

    Reply
    • Nadav says

      May 4, 2015 at 3:54 pm

      Hi Mike,

      Yes it’s been a really fun project. Here’s how it turned out:
      http://www.foodexplorerblog.com/albania-tave-me-presh-leek-casserole/
      Gave your recipe a callout
      Still need to plan a few more Albanian dishes for the week. Any suggestions?

      Reply
      • Mike BenayounMike Benayoun says

        May 5, 2015 at 12:12 pm

        Wow, love it! Thanks for the plug. We have only “visited” Albania once for now and I can’t find any other recipes that had caught my eye at the time I did some research. I will check your blog to see what you came up with 😉

        Reply

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