In the realm of culinary delights, few dishes can rival the symphony of flavors found in Greek cuisine. Among these culinary treasures, giavourlakia avgolemono, a delectable dish showcasing tender lamb and rice meatballs bathed in a velvety egg-lemon sauce, stands as a testament to the richness and diversity of Greek cooking. This dish, with its intricate layers of taste and textures, is sure to tantalize your taste buds and transport you to the vibrant streets of Greece. In this comprehensive guide, we present not only the recipe for giavourlakia avgolemono but also variations of this classic dish, including the vegetarian-friendly gemista, the hearty pastitsio, the aromatic moussaka, and the refreshing tzatziki sauce. Get ready to embark on a culinary journey like no other as we delve into the secrets of these beloved Greek dishes.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
GIOUVARLAKIA AVGOLEMONO (RICE MEATBALLS IN EGG-LEMON SAUCE)
Greek lamb and rice meatballs in a creamy lemon sauce. Warning for leftovers: Sauce will not keep more than a day or two. The meatballs are still good on their own so I store seperately.
Provided by littleturtle
Categories Lamb/Sheep
Time 1h30m
Yield 50 meatballs, 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Put bread and ground beef in a bowl, and mix and knead thoroughly.
- Add rice, parsley, celery, mint, oregano, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
- In a soup kettle, bring about 2 qt water to a furious boil.
- Keeping the water boiling, shape the meat into little round balls (about the size of walnuts) and gently drop them into the boiling water.
- Continue boiling for about 1/2 hour, and then set aside.
- Beat the whites of 3 eggs until frothy, but not stiff and shiny.
- Constantly beating, add the yolks until well mixed.
- Still beating add the lemon juice drop by drop.
- Bring butter and broth to a boil.
- Add this to the egg-lemon mixture, beating continuously.
- Place over VERY low heat, stirring in a S or X pattern (stirring round& round will cause sauce to curdle) until froth is almost broken down and sauce thickens.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 493.9, Fat 35.1, SaturatedFat 15.2, Cholesterol 198.9, Sodium 818.4, Carbohydrate 19, Fiber 1.1, Sugar 1.3, Protein 24.4
GIAVOURLAKIA AVGOLEMONO (LAMB AND RICE MEATBALLS)
Make and share this Giavourlakia Avgolemono (Lamb and Rice Meatballs) recipe from Food.com.
Provided by truebrit
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 37m
Yield 7 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- In a large bowl mix the meat, rice, onion, parsley, dill, oil and salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix very well and shape into 1" balls.
- In a large pot add the stock or water along with the butter and bring to a boil.
- Add the meat/rice balls and cook at a simmer for about 30 minutes.
- If the soup is too liquid, take the flour and 1 teaspoon butter and mash together, add to the soup and simmer 1-2 minutes , this will thicken the soup.
- In a medium bowl beat the eggs and add the lemon juice, and slowly trickle 2 ladle full of broth to temper the eggs (beating constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling.) Add to the soup.
MEAT BALLS AVGOLEMONO (VEAL BALLS WITH LEMON AND EGG SAUCE)
Provided by Pierre Franey
Categories dinner, main course
Time 50m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
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.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 624, UnsaturatedFat 21 grams, Carbohydrate 21 grams, Fat 46 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 31 grams, SaturatedFat 21 grams, Sodium 796 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams
AVGOLEMONO RICE
This avgolemono rice uses lamb stock because we love its connection to the roast leg of lamb at Easter, but you can happily use chicken stock at any time of year. The rice is cooked "pasta style," in plenty of boiling salted water and drained when done, which is how we cook rice pretty much all the time now, dodging the sometimes mushy, sometimes waterlogged, sometimes al dente results of the usual cooking method. The egg-lemon sauce is tart and creamy at the same time, a unique richness without any cream or butter, that is killer almost anywhere it lands, from warm asparagus, to gently roasted salmon, to cold poached chicken, to steamed artichokes, even to orzo pasta.
Provided by Gabrielle Hamilton
Categories grains and rice, main course
Time 30m
Yield Serves 4
Number Of Ingredients 8
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.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 322, UnsaturatedFat 4 grams, Carbohydrate 54 grams, Fat 6 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 11 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 582 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams
YOUVARLAKIA AVGOLEMONO (LEMONY GREEK MEATBALL SOUP)
Avgolemono is a Greek egg and lemon mixture that's tangy and silky, and used to thicken sauces and soups. In the United States, most versions of avgolemono soup brim with grains of rice and chunks of chicken. In this recipe, a riff on youvarlakia avgolemono, ground chicken and rice are rolled into meatballs, then simmered in the broth, making the whole thing heartier without losing the soup's characteristic brightness. Many recipes for youvarlakia call for ground beef, and, if you like you can substitute that here. Note that because of the eggs in the broth, leftovers do not freeze well.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Time 1h
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, 1/4 cup dill, onion, carrot, rice, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Gently mix with your hands until well combined.
- Gently form the mixture into 24 meatballs, each about 1 1/4 inches in diameter, placing them on a plate or baking pan. Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes or up to 24 hours. This helps the meatballs keep their shape while cooking.
- In a large pot, bring stock to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium and use a slotted spoon to carefully add meatballs to the pot. The broth should cover the tops of the meatballs by about 1/2 inch. If not, add a little water. Simmer gently, adjusting the heat so the broth doesn't boil, until meatballs are cooked through and rice is tender, 25 to 35 minutes. (Break open a meatball to test it.) Remove pot from heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and lemon juice until just mixed. Slowly add a ladle of warm broth to egg-lemon mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk in another two ladles of broth to temper the egg mixture.
- Slowly drizzle the egg-lemon mixture back into the pot with the meatballs, stirring gently so you don't break apart the meatballs. Return the pot to medium-low heat until it just starts to simmer. (Wait for a bubble or two to appear, but don't let the pot boil.) The broth should be silky. Remove from heat, stir in remaining 1/2 cup dill. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. (It may need quite a bit of salt if you are starting with unsalted broth.) Garnish with nutmeg, if you like, and dill, and serve.
Tips:
- For the best flavor, use high-quality lamb.
- Use a food processor to quickly and easily chop the lamb, onion, and garlic.
- If you don't have a food processor, you can chop the lamb, onion, and garlic by hand. Just be sure to chop them very finely.
- The meatballs can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Just be sure to bring them to room temperature before cooking.
- The avgolemono sauce is a classic Greek sauce made with eggs and lemon. It is a delicious and easy way to add flavor and richness to the meatballs.
- Serve the meatballs with rice or your favorite side dish.
Conclusion:
Giavourlakia avgolemono is a delicious and hearty Greek dish that is perfect for a special occasion. The meatballs are made with lamb, rice, and herbs, and they are simmered in a flavorful avgolemono sauce. This dish is sure to please everyone at your table.
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