Asparagus Avgolemono Recipes

AVGOLEMONO

Steps:

• Bring broth to a simmer in a 4-quart pot over high heat; add chicken. Reduce heat; simmer gently until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a bowl. Reserve broth in pot. Let chicken cool slightly, and then shred with a fork into bite-size pieces.
• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add orzo; cook until al dente. Drain. Add orzo and chicken to reserved broth. Bring broth just to a gentle simmer, and then reduce heat to low.
• Beat together eggs and lemon juice in a medium bowl until smooth. Ladle 1 cup hot broth into egg-lemon mixture, whisking constantly until mixture is warm to the touch. Stir the egg-broth mixture into the broth in the pot. Stir in the dill, and season with pepper.

AVGOLEMONO RICE

Steps:

• Bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil. Season lightly with salt. Rinse the rice, and pour into boiling water, stirring well to keep grains from clumping. When the water returns to a boil, lower heat a little to a gentle boil, and cook the rice "pasta-style" until just done.
• Drain the rice through a fine-mesh colander, giving it a couple of hearty shakes to remove the last of the water. Immediately spread cooked rice out on a sheet pan lined with parchment to cool quickly. Do not pat down or pack the rice - you want it fluffy and to be able to cool and dry quickly.
• Rinse the peas under cool water briefly to remove any frosty crystals.
• Bring the lamb stock to a simmer.
• In a stainless bowl, whisk egg yolks and lemon juice together until fully incorporated.In a slow steady stream, while constantly whisking, add half the hot lamb stock into the yolks. Then whisk the egg-lemon mixture back into the remaining stock.
• Return the pot to the stove, and simmer (still whisking constantly so as not to cook the egg too fast and too hard), until the avgolemono sauce is full-bodied, approximately the consistency of buttermilk - a minute or 90 seconds more.
• Stir in the scallions, then the peas, and when they both turn bright green, turn off the heat, and stir in the rice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The rice should be as soupy as risi e bisi and as creamy as risotto.

AVGOLEMONO

Steps:

• Place the chicken, bay leaf and broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer 1 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and let it cool.
• Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Clean out any scum in the bottom of the pot and add the broth back to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then add the orzo and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Check for seasoning here, as you may need to add a few teaspoons salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and juice and the flour. Whisk the eggs into the lemon mixture. Pour a little of the simmering broth slowly over the egg mixture and whisk it together. Reduce the heat under the broth to low and whisk in the egg mixture. The soup will thicken slightly and become cloudy. Make sure you don't bring the soup to a rolling boil after you add the eggs. Your eggs will scramble, which will leave you with more of an egg drop soup (which would still be fantastic, but just not the same).
• Chop up the chicken, removing the skin and bones, and add it to the soup along with the dill. Serve immediately.

CAVATELLI WITH ASPARAGUS, LEMON AND FRESH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Place the woody stems from the asparagus in a food processor. Process until smooth. Transfer the pureed asparagus to a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl. Let the juices drain, 5 to 10 minutes, pressing down lightly on the puree with a wooden spoon occasionally. Reserve the juice and discard the pulp.
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the ricotta, Parmesan and 1 tablespoon lemon juice with some salt and pepper. Add the lemon zest and set aside.
• Once the water has boiled, add the cavatelli and cook according to the package instructions until al dente.
• Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Remove the garlic, then add the sliced asparagus and saute until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain the cavatelli directly into the skillet with the asparagus. Add about half of the asparagus juice and allow to simmer for 1 minute. Add the remaining asparagus juice and the remaining tablespoon lemon juice and cook until the pasta is glossy, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with Pecorino-Romano, lemon zest, dollops of the whipped ricotta, basil and black pepper.

ASPARAGUS AND DILL AVGOLEMONO SOUP

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan cook the leek, the onion, and the celery with salt and pepper to taste in the butter over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, add the asparagus pieces, the broth, and the water, and simmer the mixture, covered for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender. Purée the soup in batches in a blender or food processor until it is smooth, transferring it as it is puréed to another large heavy saucepan, and let it cool to lukewarm.
• In a saucepan of boiling water cook the reserved asparagus tips for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are tender, and transfer them with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop the cooking. Drain the asparagus tips and reserve them.
• In a heatproof bowl whisk together the eggs and 1/4 cup of the lemon juice, add 1 cup of the lukewarm soup in a stream, whisking, and whisk the egg mixture into the remaining soup. Cook the soup over moderately low heat, whisking and being careful not to let it boil, until it is thickened slightly and registers 160°F. on a candy thermometer and whisk in the minced dill, the additional lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. (The soup may be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. To reheat the soup, cook it over low heat, stirring, until it is hot, being careful not to let it boil.) Serve the soup either hot or chilled, garnished with the reserved asparagus tips and the dill sprigs.

LOBSTER AVGOLEMONO

Steps:

• Place the lobsters in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove them and place in a large bowl of ice water, to cool. Remove the claw and tail meat. Cut the tail meat into 1-inch pieces. Cut the claw in half lengthwise. Set both aside. Roughly chop the shells.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped shells to cover the bottom of the pot in one layer. Cook in the oil until deep red, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining shells and cover with chicken broth. Add the tomatoes and simmer gently over medium heat until it reduces to 1 1/2 quarts, about 30 to 40 minutes. Strain, set the lobster broth aside and discard the shells.
• In a soup pot over medium heat, saute the onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cover with the lobster broth. Simmer gently until the potatoes are tender but firm, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the egg yolks in a glass or ceramic bowl, whisk in the lemon juice and set aside. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over high heat until hot. Add the lobster meat, and quickly saute, about 3 minutes. Add the lobster meat to the soup, whisk 1 ladle of soup into the yolk-and-lemon mixture, and slowly add it back into the soup pot. Do not allow the soup to boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Ladle the soup into 6 bowls and garnish with chives.

AGINARES AVGOLEMONO (ARTICHOKE BOTTOMS IN AVGOLEMONO)

Steps:

• Remove the leaves from the artichokes and scoop out the chokes, leaving the bottoms. Discard the leaves. Cut the bottoms in half. Put them in cold water with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice added. When ready to use, drain and pat dry.
• Pour the olive oil into a 6-quart saucepan. Saute the onions until soft. Add the potatoes and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add the artichoke bottoms, 4 1/2 cups of hot water, the dill and salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer until the potatoes, carrots and artichoke bottoms are fork-tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Do not stir, but occasionally lift and move the pan back and forth (gentle shaking) to move the mixture around and keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan, but be careful not to break up the vegetables. Reduce the heat to a low simmer while preparing the avgolemono sauce.
• To make the avgolemono sauce, beat the eggs well in a small bowl, then slowly add 2/3 cup of lemon juice. Add the dissolved cornstarch and then slowly add about a cup of broth from the cooked vegetables, stirring all the while.
• Pour the sauce over the vegetables and cook on low for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

ROAST LAMB WITH AVGOLEMONO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Set the leg of lamb into a roasting tin. Season with a little salt and plenty of black pepper. In a bowl, mix together the mustard and plain flour to a smooth paste. Spread it all over the lamb. Roast for 20 mins, then reduce the heat to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 and cook for a further 1 hr 20 mins. Remove the lamb from the oven and leave to stand, covered in foil, for 15 mins.
• For the sauce, mix together 2 tbsp cold water and the cornflour to make a smooth paste. Beat together the egg yolks and lemon juice in a small saucepan and add 2-3 tbsp of the hot stock, whisking well. Stir in the cornflour paste and heat gently. Pour over the rest of the stock, then over a low heat stirring constantly, cook for 7-10 mins until the sauce has thickened. Do not boil. Add the spring onions, adjust the seasoning to taste, and serve hot with thin slices of the lamb.

ASPARAGUS AVGOLEMONO

Steps:

• In a soup pot, bring the broth to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until almost al dente, about 4 minutes for pastina and 8 minutes for orzo.
• Add the asparagus and dill and simmer until the asparagus is just tender, about 5 minutes.
• While the asparagus cooks, in a bowl, whisk the eggs and lemon juice. When the asparagus is tender, whisk a ladleful of the hot broth into the egg-lemon mixture. Lower the heat and slowly pour the egg mixture into the soup in a thin stream, stirring briskly all the while. Continue to stir until the soup is thickened somewhat and heated through, a couple of minutes. (Constant stirring and low heat prevent the eggs from curdling.) Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Variations
• Other green vegetables, such as chopped spinach, broccoli, and kale, may be substituted for the asparagus.
• For a smooth soup, purée with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender.
• Serving & menu ideas
• Peppercorn Citrus Marinated Feta (page 201) with pita, Greek Salad (page 211), and Greek Antipasto Pita (page 149) all pair well with this soup.

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.