Tavë Dheu

Cut the beef into 3 cm cubes, finely chop the onion, dice the sweet red pepper, crush the tomatoes, and finely mince the garlic, hot pepper and mint.

Heat 60 ml of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Sauté the onion and sweet pepper over medium heat for 5 minutes, add the beef and brown it on all sides. Pour in the white wine, let the alcohol evaporate, then add the tomatoes, salt and black pepper.

Pour in the hot beef stock, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Separately, heat the remaining olive oil, quickly sauté the garlic, hot pepper and mint for 1–2 minutes, then pour into the meat and simmer for another 30–40 minutes, keeping the sauce loose, until the beef is tender.

Preheat the oven to 250°C. Place the empty clay pots in the oven for 10 minutes to heat them thoroughly.

In a saucepan, melt the butter, stir in the cornmeal and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and quickly stir in the ricotta, parmesan, feta and sweet paprika, then transfer the cheese mixture into the meat stew and heat through for another 2 minutes.

Divide the stew among the hot pots and bake at 250°C for 20–25 minutes, until the top forms a golden crust and the sauce starts to bubble.

Let the dish rest for 5 minutes and serve hot straight from the pots.