Avgolemonosauce Recipes

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.

AVGOLEMONO SAUCE

Steps:

• Without turning on the heat, whisk the eggs in a medium saucepan until frothy.
• Juice the lemons and whisk the juice into the eggs.
• Slowly whisk in 1 cup of broth.
• Turn heat on medium and continue whisking until the sauce begins to thicken.
• Mix starch with some of the remaining 1/2 cup of broth to make a paste, and then mix in the rest of the broth.
• Slowly whisk the tapioca mixture into the pot on the stove until it thickens up. Turn off the heat and serve.

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 SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix a little flour with the lemon juice then add the eggs and beat well.
• Slowly add the broth while continuing to beat.
• Pour and mix the avgolemono sauce into your food.
• Remove from heat before the sauce thickens.

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: 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.

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.

TRADITIONAL LAMB FRICASSéE WITH AVGOLEMONO SAUCE

Steps:

• Trim most of the visible fat from the lamb then cut the meat into 1½" - 2" chunks. Pat down the lamb to remove any excess moisture then brown it on all sides over medium-high heat in the olive oil in a large Dutch oven.
• Add the leeks, onions, and celery to the pot and sauté until the vegetables soften. Add the chicken stock to cover the mixture and season it generously with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 40 minutes.
• Mince the dill, reserving some for garnish. Chop the lettuce and add it to the pot, along with the dill. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or, until the lamb is fork-tender and a small amount of liquid (about a cup or so) remains in the pot. Turn off the heat.
• Prepare the egg-lemon (avgolemono) sauce. In a small bowl whisk the egg whites with the teaspoon of cold water and a little corn flour until very frothy. Whisk in the egg yolks and lemon juice (start with only one lemon if you do not like the acidity of the lemon too much). Temper the avgolemono sauce by slowly adding one ladleful of the hot liquid from the pot to the small bowl with the eggs, while whisking the whole time. Continue with a second ladleful of the hot liquid and whisk again. Now add the avgolemono to the pot and stir gently to incorporate. Shake the pot a few times to make sure everything is thoroughly mixed together.
• If you need to reheat the lamb fricassée before serving, do so very gently, making sure the stew does not come to a boil. Place on a serving platter, topped with the reserved minced dill, a drizzle of olive oil and a few wedges of lemon. Good, crusty bread is a must and a Greek salad on the side is always a good idea.

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.

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.