Avgolemono

December 8, 2011

Avgolemono - kvalifood.com

Avgolemono is a Greek egg-and-lemon sauce used to enrich soups, stews, and braised dishes. It is not a standalone sauce – you make it by tempering beaten eggs and lemon juice with hot broth from whatever dish you are cooking, then stirring the mixture back into the pot. The result is a silky, tangy, slightly thickened sauce that clings to everything.

Makes enough for 1 dish (ca. 4 servings)

Ingredients

3 large eggs, room temperature
2 medium lemons, juiced (ca. 60 ml juice)
240-480 ml warm broth, from the dish being prepared

Directions

Crack the eggs into a bowl. Beat until uniform and slightly frothy, about 1 minute of vigorous whisking. For a frothier result, separate the eggs, beat the whites until light and foamy, then beat in the yolks.
While whisking, stream in the lemon juice and beat until fully incorporated.
Ladle warm broth (not boiling) from the dish, one ladle at a time, into the egg-lemon mixture while whisking constantly. Add 3-4 ladles total. The mixture should feel warm to the touch.
Pour the tempered avgolemono slowly back into the pot while stirring or gently shaking the pot. Keep the heat low. Do not let it boil.
Remove from heat. Leave the lid off. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving. The sauce continues to thicken as it cools slightly.

Notes

Room-temperature eggs and gradual tempering are the two keys to preventing curdling.
Start with 1.5 lemons and taste. Add more juice after combining if you want more tang.
Use less broth (1 cup) for a thicker coating sauce (stuffed grape leaves, meatballs). Use more (2 cups) for enriching soups.
No thickener is needed. The eggs alone provide enough body when properly prepared.
Never cover the pot after adding avgolemono – trapped steam causes curdling.
If it curdles, it still tastes fine. The texture suffers but the flavor is unchanged.