Greek Fricassee of Lamb

Submitted by evelynathens

"This is a fricassee as done in Greece - finished with an egg-lemon sauce (avgolemono). It is wonderfully delicious, and soul-satisfying...at least it is for us Greeks!"

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 15mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• 4 lbs lamb shoulder, cut into 6-8 pieces, trimmed of fat
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups dry white wine
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 -5 romaine lettuce, lettuces leaves separated and washed, cut crosswise into 2-inch thick pieces (Swiss Chard can also be used in place of lettuce)
• 1⁄2 cup fresh dill, minced (please don't even think of using dried)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1⁄2 lemons, juice of

directions

1. In a large Dutch Oven, heat the olive oil till smoking and in it brown the pieces of lamb (you may have to do this in 2-3 batches) until golden-brown all over.
2. When all the pieces are browned add onion, garlic, water and wine (you could use just water if you wanted to), salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until meat is very tender.
3. Add lettuce and dill. You may have to cram it into the pot but it will reduce to practically nothing. Put the lid on the Dutch Oven and cook for 8 minutes. Remove lid, stir carefully not to break up meat and cook another 2 minutes. Turn off heat.
4. In a large, heatproof bowl, whisk together eggs, cornstarch, lemon juice and a little salt and pepper to taste (remember, there is more in the pot).
5. With a ladle, remove ladlefuls of the cooking liquid the meat and lettuce have cooked in and VERY slowly whisk it into the egg/lemon mixture. Keep doing this until, whisking all the while, until you have incorporated most of your cooking liquid - this tempers the egg-lemon sauce so it won't curdle when added to your lamb.
6. Pour all the sauce into the pot, covering the lamb and lettuce. Turn heat up to medium-high and just bring to the boil. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
7. Dinner is ready. Have lots of crusty bread around to sop up the delicious avgolemono sauce.

Reviews

[vsdutcher]

Excellent. I made this for orthodox Easter. Reminds me of magheritsa (I'm sure I spelled that wrong) only minus the offal (do not care for it, but always loved the taste of the broth)... Very good. Thanks again Evelyn.

 

[P Look]

Wanted to try a Greek Fricassee of Lamb recipe after seeing a "Delicious Destinations" show on the Travel Chanel on the island of Santorini. Perhaps this recipe is a good as an original in Greece, but boy was this a disappointment! I feared that it would be fairly tasteless due to the fact there was NO salt or paper on the ingredients list, and I was right. In spite of adding about 2 teaspoons of salt, and one of pepper, the avgolemone sauce never approached the neighborhood of "delicious". This was a of time, and expense (the lamb).

 

[gilzbettermail]

My dill is only 3 inches high, so this recipe must wait for a month or so

 

[appleydapply]

Delicious! I cut up a boneless leg of lamb because that's what my store had. The sauce was wonderful. We served it in a bowl over cooked short-grain rice, which worked out really well because it absorbed the sauce even as we were eating...so the rice turned into a creamy risotto-type dish. I might try this again with pork as another reviewer did (is that blasphemy??) just because it's so much cheaper and widely available in the US. Thanks for sharing another great recipe.

 

[Stacyia Monroe]

Awesome recipe :) But Evelyn isn't a Greek name, you must not be Greek- don't lie it's ok if you aren't :) No I'm just kidding. This is fabulous. ps I know a Greek who doesn't like this meal - so maybe not just for the Greeks. :P