Western Macedonian Arni me Giaourti (Αρνί με Γιαούρτι)

Arni me giaourti is Western Macedonia's Easter lamb: lamb roasted until tender, then covered with giaourti, eggs, and sharp cheese so the top sets into a pale-gold crust. The region is the dish's surname here. In Kozani, Grevena, and the villages around them, spring lamb doesn't always go to the spit. Often it goes into the tapsi, the round baking pan, with good olive oil, a little garlic, and patience.

The one method that decides it is when you add the yogurt. Roast the lamb first until the meat gives under a fork, then whisk the yogurt with eggs, flour, cheese, and a few spoonfuls of hot pan juice before it goes over the meat. Give that cover only its last short bake. Long harsh heat makes yogurt split; late steady heat lets it set like a soft savory custard, golden at the edges.

I keep this version spare because the dish is spare. No extra vegetables hiding under the lamb, no dressing it up until you can't recognize the north in it. A recipe written down is a recipe saved, and this one deserves to come out of your oven tasting like Easter in Western Macedonia.