Tava (oven-baked lamb and potatoes)

Tava is a traditional oven-baked lamb dish that's popular in Cyprus, Greece and Turkey. In Turkish, tava means 'pan', which reflects how it is prepared. Chunky cuts of lamb neck are slow-cooked in a richly flavoured tomato sauce until soft and tender. It's hearty and comforting, making it perfect for a cosy weekend shared with family and friends.

The sauce is deeply fragrant from the use of oregano, cumin, cinnamon and bay leaves. A generous amount of sliced onions also add gentle sweetness, balancing the earthy spices, while ground black pepper provides subtle warmth.

Tava is best served simply with some bread, natural yoghurt and a rice of your choice, such as şehriyeli pilav. Salad and çakıstes are also great on the side for fresh, sharp flavours that reset the palate as you eat.

Cyprus potatoes are a key ingredient, as they stay firm and hold their shape after baking for over 2 hours. The tops are crisped at the final stage of cooking and they absorb all the rich flavours of the sauce. If you don't have access to Cyprus potatoes, you can use another waxy variety. An all-rounder like Maris Piper can also work, but it may soften and crumble in the sauce.

A medium-sized chicken cut into pieces can be used instead of lamb neck, and crisping the skin at the end makes it a pleasure to eat. However, you will need to adjust cooking times to ensure the chicken stays juicy and doesn't become dry. For an alternative oven-baked lamb dish, try kleftiko (hırsız kebabı). 

Serves 4 to 6 | Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

8 2cm-thick bone-in lamb neck pieces (approx 1.2-1.5kg), washed and drained	8 medium (1kg) Cyprus potatoes (or other waxy potato variety), peeled and washed
4 medium onions	400g tinned chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste	5-6 whole bay leaves, washed and drained
1 tsp dried oregano	1 tsp whole cumin, rubbed firmly between your hands to release the flavour
¼ tsp ground cinnamon	1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt	500ml hot water
Sunflower oil

Hob heat settings

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6.

   
   

2. Finely slice the onions into half-moons.

   
   

   

   
   

3. Add a little oil to a large saucepan and fry the onions on a medium-high heat, until slightly softened - about 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and place to one side.

   
   

4. Cut the potatoes into 5-6cm pieces. Slit each potato piece 1cm deep twice on the round side.

   
   

   

   
   

5. Lay out the potatoes in a D5xW30xL40cm oven dish along with the meat.

   
   

   

   
   

6. Next, sprinkle over the cooked onions. 

   
   

   

   
   

7. In a bowl, mix together the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, hot water, salt and spices. Pour this mixture carefully all over the potatoes, meat and onions and gently part the contents with a spoon to ensure everything mixes well. Add the bay leaves, dipping them in between the meat.

   
   

   

   
   

8. Cover the tray with foil and bake in the oven for 1 hour.

   
   

9. Remove from the oven, turn the meat and potatoes over, then sprinkle a few of the onions and bay leaves that have fallen off back over the top. Re-cover with foil and return to the oven to bake for a further 1 hour.

   
   

10. Remove the foil. You can top up with a little more hot water if you feel it has run low, but the aim is to get a thick sauce when cooked so be mindful of this. Place back in the oven for a further 20-30 minutes, or until the meat has browned and the potatoes are fully cooked (test with a fork - they should be fairly firm but cooked through). 

    
    

    

    
    

11. Serve simply with bread or a rice dish on the side, like şehriyeli pilav.