Greek Meatballs In Avgolemono Sauce Recipes

GREEK MEATBALLS RECIPE (KEFTEDES/ KEFTETHES)

Steps:

• To prepare this traditional Greek meatballs recipe (keftedes), add all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well (for about 5-10 minutes), squeezing with your hands, to allow the flavours to blend. Cover the bowl with some plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Turn the mixture for the keftedes out of the fridge and roll into meatballs the size of a walnut (or bigger if you prefer). If you're frying them, dredge the rolled meatballs lightly in flour making sure to shake off any excess. Fry until nicely browned on all sides.
• The traditional way of cooking Greek meatballs (keftedes) is frying them. Fry the keftedes in batches of 10-15 at a time, until nicely browned on all sides.
• Instead of frying you can bake / grill the keftedes in the oven. Preheat the oven at 200C, place the un-floured keftedes on greased baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning the meatballs upside down midway through cooking time. The grilled version is much lighter than the fried so theres not excuse to not trying it now!
• Keftedes (Greek meatballs) are ideally served as an appetizer (meze) with some creamy tzatziki sauce and pita breads or as a main course with some basmati rice and a Greek salad. Enjoy!

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!!

GREEK MEATBALLS IN AVGOLEMONO SAUCE (KEFTEDES ME AVGOLEMONO)

Steps:

• Meatballs:.
• Apart from the flour and the vegetable oil, mix all the other ingredients together well.
• Make medium-size balls from the mixture.
• Roll the balls in flour and then deep fry them for approximately 15 minutes.
• Sauce:.
• In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat the oil, then add the flour and stir well for 3 minutes.
• Add 1 litre water and mix well.
• Add the meatballs and simmer for 30 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thick.
• Beat the egg yolk thoroughly.
• Add the lemon juice to the egg and keep beating.
• Add 5-6 tablespoons of the sauce to the egg & lemon mixture and stir well.
• Add this mixture to the meatballs in the sauce, shake the pan and remove from the heat.
• Serve with a sprinkling of pepper and fresh mint on top.

GREEK MEATBALLS IN AVGOLEMONO SAUCE

Steps:

• Dice or set your food processor to grate and process the garlic and onion; remove. Using the s-blade, mince mint and parsley. Remove and add optional liver and puree.
• Add minced garlic, onion, mint, parsley, liver, ground beef, and ground lamb to one bowl.
• Add salt, black pepper and eggs to a separate bowl. Beat eggs and spices until smooth.
• Add eggs to meat mixture and thoroughly combine with hands.
• Crumble feta cheese and fold into mixture with hands gently.
• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Roll mixture into small ping pong ball sized meatballs. Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment and place meatballs on the prepared sheet with enough space so they are not touching. Bake meatballs for approximately 20 minutes, then transfer to sauce.
• For the sauce: While the meatballs are baking, in a large skillet, heat the butter then add the flour and whisk to combine for about 3 minutes, taking care not to burn the flour.
• Slowly pour in beef or chicken stock, continuing to whisk and stir out any lumps.
• When combined and smooth, add the meatballs and simmer for 15 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thick.
• Juice the lemons.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and lemon juice together thoroughly. One at a time, add a few tablespoons of the sauce to the egg and lemon mixture while constantly whisking.
• Add the egg/lemon/sauce mixture to the meatballs in the sauce. Give it a quick stir, and remove from the heat.
• Serve with a sprinkling of pepper and fresh mint on top.

GREEK CREAMY LEMON MEATBALLS (AKA AVGOLEMONO)

Steps:

• 1. a small bowl, add your meatball ingredients. Mix well till rice is incorporated thoroughly with the meat mixture and spices. Using your melon ball scooper. Scoop out meat balls and set on a plate, set aside! When you have finished making your meatballs, in a large non stick skillet, add your olive oil, let heat and add your meatballs.
• 2. Let them brown on one side, turn over... and let them brown on the other side.
• 3. Lower heat to as low as it can go... add your stock (chicken base). Add your water and cover the meatballs thoroughly!! Increase your heat to medium.
• 4. Let the meatballs come to a boil/simmer. Lower the heat to low, cover and time them for approximately 15-18 minutes. Turn off heat when timer is done.
• 5. This is what they will look like when the 18 minutes or so are over... See how perfectly cooked the rice is... love it!!
• 6. Okay, let's get busy with that amazing lemon sauce shall we???? Gather your very simple ingredients! Juice your lemon, separate your egg. How simple can that be??? Now that you have separated your egg white from yolk, I want you take a whisk and beat the living daylights out of the eggwhite... till it's nice and frothy and creamy looking!! I don't want you to make it "meringue", we need it frothy....
• 7. Take about 1/3 cup of the chicken broth from the now cooked meatballs and pour directly into the beaten egg white mixture. Easy right? Now we need to add the lemon into this... beat well with the whisk. Finally add your egg yolk and the pinch of salt. Beat just a smidgen more, like 10 whisks is all I'm saying. What you are doing is literally "tempering" the eggs. In other words, you are introducing a very hot mixture into a "neutral atmosphere". So the mixture will not "curdle" when brought back into the hot.
• 8. Let the meatballs and now creamy lemon mixture come to a full boil. Turn off heat and your ready to serve!! Look at how creamy and low fat this sauce is... and did I mention AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS??? Our favorite way of eating this is over mashed potatoes... so darn good... just DELICIOUS!!!!!

YOUVARLAKIA AVGOLEMONO (GREEK MEATBALL-EGG/LEMON SOUP)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the meat, minced onion, garlic, rice, 3 tablespoons chopped parsley, the mint, oregano, salt and pepper, and 1 egg, slightly beaten.
• Knead for a few minutes, then shape into walnut-sized meatballs and set aside.
• In a soup pot, bring the water or stock to boil and add the meatballs.
• Cook for 20 minutes.
• Add chopped onion, celery, carrot, zucchini and potato. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Lower the heat and gently simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes (until the vegetables are tender), then remove from the heat.
• To prepare avgolemono: beat the two remaining eggs for 2 minutes and whisk in the corn flour.
• While beating all the while, gradually add the lemon juice.
• Then add 1 cup of the hot broth in a slow, steady stream (ladle), beating steadily, until nearly all the hot liquid has been added.
• Add the egg/stock mixture back to the soup pot and heat, being careful not to let it boil, stirring, until thickened.
• Serve hot, garnished with parsley.
• Serve this with feta cheese on the side- goes great with the little meatballs.

GREEK MEATBALLS IN EGG-LEMON SAUCE: (YOUVARLAKIA ME AVGOLEMONO)

Steps:

• Combine the ground beef, rice, onion, garlic, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add an egg and mix well.
• Pour some flour in a shallow pan. With floured hands, shape the meat into walnut-sized balls. Lightly roll the meatballs in the flour and shake off the excess.
• Heat 2 cups of the chicken broth in a Dutch oven, or large pot, until boiling.
• Carefully place the meatballs in a layer on the bottom of the pot. If the broth does not cover the meatballs, add a bit more broth until they are covered.
• Simmer, covered, on low for 45 minutes, adding more broth if there is less than 1 cup remaining.
• To make the sauce, beat the eggs in a medium sized bowl until frothy.
• Slowly whisk in the lemon juice. Ladle one cup of the pot liquid, little by little, into the egg mixture to temper the eggs.
• Remove the pot from the heat and add in the lemon/egg mixture, stirring gently.
• Heat over very low heat until sauce thickens and is heated through, making sure the sauce does not boil (which will result in the eggs curdling).

MEAT BALLS AVGOLEMONO (VEAL BALLS WITH LEMON AND EGG SAUCE)

Steps:

• Put the veal in a mixing bowl.
• Heat one tablespoon of the butter in a skillet and add one-half cup of the onions. Cook, stirring, until wilted. Add this to the veal.
• Add the bread crumbs, half of the dill, the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Blend well. Shape the mixture into 28 balls of equal size, each about two inches in diameter or slightly less.
• Heat two tablespoons of butter in a casserole and add the remaining onions. Cook briefly until wilted. Add the veal balls and cook, turning gently to brown lightly. Add the broth and bring to the boil. Cover and let simmer about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat the eggs with a wire whisk in a bowl until well blended. Add the cornstarch and continue beating until thoroughly smooth and blended. Beat in the lemon juice.
• Pour one cup of the liquid from the meatballs into the egg mixture. Beat to blend.
• Pour this blend into the meatballs with their liquid and stir. Cook over gentle heat until thickened. Sprinkle with the remaining dill and serve.