Shkodra-style bakllasarem — the traditional dish with meat, pastry and oven-baked yogurt sauce

Bakllasarem is one of the most characteristic dishes of Shkodra cuisine, a festive meal cooked in large trays and served warm in the middle of the table. The base is made of thin pastry sheets and pieces of tender meat, covered with a yogurt-and-egg sauce that turns into a golden, creamy crust in the oven.

It is a rich dish that requires a little patience but rewards it with deep flavor — a recipe that preserves the spirit of Shkodra’s tradition.

Ingredients (for 6 people):

• 600 g beef, small pieces
• 4 thin pastry sheets (or ready-made phyllo)
• 500 g yogurt
• 3 eggs
• 100 ml olive oil (or 50 g butter + 50 ml oil)
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves (optional)
• Salt, black pepper and sweet paprika to taste

Preparation:

Boil the meat in salted water for about 45 minutes, until well tenderized. Keep the cooking broth. Sauté the chopped onions in oil until golden; add the boiled meat, garlic and spices, and stir for a few minutes.

Grease a tray with butter and lay the pastry sheets one by one, sprinkling each with a little meat broth to soften them. Spread the meat and onion mixture on top.

Beat the yogurt with the eggs, a little salt and a ladle of meat broth until it becomes a smooth cream; pour it evenly over the tray.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 30–35 minutes, until the surface turns golden. Let it rest for 10 minutes and serve warm, with fresh salad on the side.

Preparation time: about 25 minutes. Cooking time: about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Servings: 6.