Avgolemono Egglemon Sauce Recipes

TRADITIONAL GREEK MEATBALL SOUP (GIOUVARLAKIA/ YOUVARLAKIA) IN EGG-LEMON SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• To prepare this Greek meatball soup, start by making the meatballs (youvarlakia). Place all the meatball ingredients into a large bowl, knead the mixture squeezing the ingredients with your hand until smooth. Leave the mixture to rest in the fridge for 15 minutes. This will prevent the youvarlakia to break up when boiled. Form the meatballs (youvarlakia) and set them aside.
• Pour into a large pan 2 ½ cups of water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and gently add the meatballs (youvarlakia) in the water, put the lid back on and cook for 20-25 minutes. (The water should be enough to cover the meatballs, so add some more warm water if needed)
• To prepare the egg lemon sauce for the Greek meatball soup, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Add the lemon juice and whisk well. Add into the bowl a ladle of hot soup and whisk quickly. Add one more ladle and whisk again until combined.
• Stir in the egg lemon sauce into the youvarlakia soup and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, until warm but not boiling.
• Serve this extra warming Greek meatball soup, while still hot with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
• Make sure that you do not cover any left overs until they have cooled; the sauce may curdle otherwise!!

AVGOLEMONO: CHICKEN SOUP WITH EGG-LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the chicken in a large pot and add enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low, skimming when necessary.
• Heat the oil in a separate pan over medium heat and add the onions. Cook the onions until clear, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• When the chicken is cooked through, 45 minutes to 1 hour, remove from the broth. Let the chicken cool, and then pull the meat from the bones. Dice into large cubes and set aside.
• Add the bay leaves, carrot, leek and reserved onions to the broth and simmer, about 1 hour.
• Remove the carrot and leek from the broth and add the rice. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat to medium-high to simmer until the rice is cooked to al dente, about 30 minutes. Add the chicken back into the broth. Add more water if needed.
• In a small bowl, beat the lemon juice and eggs together. Pour 2 cups of broth slowly into the bowl, whisking continuously. Once all the broth is incorporated, add the mixture into the pot of chicken soup and stir to blend well throughout. Add the salt and pepper. Serve hot.

EASY AVGOLEMONO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the lemon juice and whisk until frothy.
• While continuing to whisk, pour half the boiling broth into the eggs in a small stream, whisking vigorously and continually so that the eggs don't cook.
• Return the broth to the flame and pour the tempered eggs into the remaining broth, whisking the whole time. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly, but NEVER LET THE SAUCE BOIL. This will take about five minutes.
• Serve immediately. This sauce doesn't reheat well.

AVGOLEMONO (EGG-LEMON SAUCE)

Steps:

• Fill the bottom of a double boiler about 1/3 full of water and bring it to a simmer. Combine the lemon juice and flour in a stainless-steel bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the egg yolks and whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
• In the top of the double boiler (but not over the heat), whip egg whites and a pinch of salt until fluffy. Slowly drizzle the yolk mixture into the whipped whites, whisking constantly to maintain the volume. Place over the simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is light in color, fluffy and begins to thicken, about 4 minutes. Very slowly whisk in the hot stock. Continue cooking and whisking for another 2 minutes to thicken. Reserve sauce off the stove in the double boiler. Do not reheat or the sauce may curdle. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

THE TRADITIONAL EGG-LEMON SAUCE (GREEK AVGOLEMONO) RECIPE

Steps:

• To prepare the classic Avgolemono recipe, start by cracking the eggs into a bowl and whisk well.
• Gradually add the lemon juice and whisk again to combine.
• Add a little of the warm stock or soup and whisk quickly, add more and whisk again. The reason for slowly adding the broth is to gradually warm up the eggs so you don't end up with an omelette instead of a sauce!
• Pour gradually the egg mixture back into the pot, whilst constantly stirring and bring just below boiling point. Remove the pan from the stove and serve.

ARTICHOKES AND PEAS IN AN EGG-LEMON SAUCE (Αγκινάρες με αρακά αυγολέμονο)

Steps:

• In a medium size pot heat the olive oil and saute the onion until translucent, approximately 3 - 5 minutes.
• To the pot add the artichoke hearts, frozen peas and the potatoes. Cover with the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped mint and parsley as well as the salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 30 - 45 minutes stirring occasionally. Check your potatoes and artichokes and when ready (a knife is easily inserted into the vegetables), remove the pot from the heat.
• Use a ladle to place approximately 1 cup of broth into a small bowl. Set aside.
• Separate the eggs. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the egg yolks and continue to beat. Slowly pour in the lemon juice and then the reserved 1 cup broth while beating continuously. See video here.
• Pour the egg-lemon sauce into the pot with the soup. Shake the pot gently so that the egg-lemon sauce gets evenly dispersed throughout the vegetables.
• Serve and enjoy!

AVGOLEMONO (GREEK LEMON CHICKEN SOUP)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Add the chicken, water, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves , peppercorns, and salt to a large stockpot . Bring to a rapid boil, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the chicken and vegetables to a bowl and carefully strain the broth through a fine sieve into a separate large bowl. Return the strained broth to the stockpot and bring to a boil.
• Add the orzo and cook until al dente, according to package directions.
• While the pasta is cooking, prepare the egg-lemon mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until nice and frothy.
• Add the lemon zest and the lemon juice in a steady stream while continuing to whisk.
• When the pasta has finished cooking, turn off the heat. Ladle about 2 cups of broth into a large measuring cup.
• Slowly add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture while continuing to whisk. This will temper the eggs and prevent them from curdling once they are added to the hot broth.
• Continuously stir the egg-lemon mixture back into the pot over very low heat until the mixture is heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to boil the soup once the eggs have been added. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Traditionally, this soup is served without the chicken meat or vegetables. You can add them back or serve on the side as you prefer. Garnish with dill and serve.

CHICKEN SOUP (GREEK, WITH AVGOLEMONO - EGG/LEMON SAUCE)

Steps:

• Put chicken, water, parsley, onion and salt in a large pan and bring to a boil.
• Cover pan and let simmer for 45 minutes.
• Remove chicken and parsley, discard parsley.
• Let chicken cool a bit, so you don't burn yourself, and cut into cubes.
• Set aside.
• Add rice, carrot and celery to broth and cook for 20 minutes.
• Add lemon juice to the soup.
• Stir.
• Turn off heat.
• Beat the eggs and cornstarch in a small bowl.
• While whisking, slowly dribble in hot chicken stock- never stop whisking.
• Do this until you have used up a couple of ladlefuls of stock.
• This tempers the eggs so they do not curdle.
• Slowly add egg to the hot soup and give a good stir.
• Add chicken and serve, sprinkled with a bit of pepper (if desired).
• Note: I would just like to point out that the eggs in this soup are not raw - they are cooked by the hot stock. That is what the tempering process is all about (and to make sure the eggs don't curdle :-) ).