Greek Meatballs In Egg Lemon Sauce Youvarlakia Me Avgolemono Food

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!!

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).

GIOUVARLAKIA AVGOLEMONO (RICE MEATBALLS IN EGG-LEMON SAUCE)

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.

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.

CHICKEN SOUP (GREEK, WITH AVGOLEMONO - EGG/LEMON SAUCE)

Steps:

• Put chicken, water, parsley, onion and salt in a large pan and bring to a boil.
• Cover pan and let simmer for 45 minutes.
• Remove chicken and parsley, discard parsley.
• Let chicken cool a bit, so you don't burn yourself, and cut into cubes.
• Set aside.
• Add rice, carrot and celery to broth and cook for 20 minutes.
• Add lemon juice to the soup.
• Stir.
• Turn off heat.
• Beat the eggs and cornstarch in a small bowl.
• While whisking, slowly dribble in hot chicken stock- never stop whisking.
• Do this until you have used up a couple of ladlefuls of stock.
• This tempers the eggs so they do not curdle.
• Slowly add egg to the hot soup and give a good stir.
• Add chicken and serve, sprinkled with a bit of pepper (if desired).
• Note: I would just like to point out that the eggs in this soup are not raw - they are cooked by the hot stock. That is what the tempering process is all about (and to make sure the eggs don't curdle :-) ).