Lobster 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 SOUP

Steps:

• Place chicken, chopped onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and oregano in a large pot. Pour water over the top; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, skimming foam as necessary, until chicken is falling off the bone, 60 to 90 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Transfer chicken to a bowl to cool, strain all vegetables from simmering broth, discard vegetables, and return broth to the pot. Chop cooked chicken meat.
• Combine 2 cups diced onion, olive oil, and a pinch of salt in a large skillet. Cook and stir onion mixture over medium heat until onion is soft, sweet, and golden, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stir onion mixture into chicken broth in the pot and set over medium-low heat; add Arborio rice and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is very tender and broth flavors combine, about 45 minutes.
• Whisk eggs, cayenne pepper, and black pepper together in a bowl; whisk in lemon juice. Slowly pour 1 cup broth mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Add 1 more cup of broth to egg mixture and whisk. Pour egg mixture into broth in the pot, add chopped chicken, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes more.

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.

AVGOLEMONO

Steps:

• Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then run them through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any stray shells.
• Combine the 12 cups chicken broth and the lemon juice in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and hold at a simmer.
• Temper the eggs by gradually whisking broth into the eggs, one ladleful at a time. When you have added about a quarter of the broth, stir the mixture back into the pot. Cook at a low simmer, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. (Be careful not to let the soup boil or the eggs will overcook and ruin it.) Stir in the salt and white pepper and strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
• In a small saucepan, combine the shredded chicken and the 1/2 cup chicken broth. Bring to a simmer to warm the chicken, then strain off the broth. Divide the chicken and orzo among six bowls; add 1 teaspoon of the chopped dill to each bowl. Ladle the soup into the bowls and serve immediately.

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.

AVGOLEMONO

Steps:

• In a stainless steel bowl, whip the egg yolks with a pinch of salt.
• In a separate stainless steel bowl fitted for a double boiler, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until fluffy. Fold the yolks into the whites, blending well.
• Bring a saucepan or the bottom of a double boiler filled with water to a simmer.
• In a small bowl, blend the cornstarch into the lemon juice and whisk into the egg mixture. Put the bowl over the pot of simmering water, whisking constantly. In about 4 minutes, the mixture will lighten in color and the sauce will thicken. Gradually add the reserved cup of hot chicken stock to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Continue cooking and whisking 2 minutes longer, until the avgolemono thickens. Keep warm if necessary in the double boiler, off the heat. Add to the chicken soup right before serving.

GREEK LEMON CHICKEN SOUP

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.

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

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Stir in the rice and cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a large bowl.
• When the rice is tender, slowly ladle half of the hot broth into the yolks to temper them, whisking constantly. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the broth and place over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, just long enough to thicken the soup. Do not boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.