Yiayia’s Avgolemono
“Avgo” in Greek is egg. “Lemono” is well….. lemon of course! This was one of Yiayia’s classic go-to dishes. She taught her son how to make this–growing up he was her ‘sous chef’ in the kitchen–and since then, he’s been the “keeper” of this tradition who makes it every time in our family.
To Greeks, avgolemono is something special, almost sacred. It’s our version of the worldwide classic chicken soup. When you’re sick or the weather becomes a little colder, there’s nothing more comforting than avgolemono.
For us, Yiayia’s avgolemono is more than just a meal: it’s a cherished experience filled with love, memories and the comforting flavour of home. We are so fortunate she has passed this recipe onto Theo and that we can keep this memory and tradition alive.
Over the years as her dementia has progressed, it’s easy to “miss” her – even though she’s still here, her identity now is a different version of the self we remember her as. Recipes like this bring us right back to her though, making them even more special. We made this avgolemono to film at home before bringing it to Pappou’s to eat the next night together. Sitting at the same dinner table that’s we’ve all grown up around eating familiar foods becomes a transformative experience: each bite takes you through all of the previous ages you were. It’s like she was at the table again; a reminder of how food has a powerful way of connecting us to different people, places and times.
Ingredients
1 Whole Chicken, to make stock
1 Cup, Basmati Rice, rinsed well
3 Eggs, (room temperature) yolk and whites separated
1/2 Cup, Fresh Lemon Juice
The Salty Greek Signature Blend
Recipe Steps
In a large pot, boil the chicken in salted water until cooked. While chicken is cooking in the early stages keep skimming the froth off the top.
Once chicken is cooked, strain broth in another large pot and bring back to a simmer.
Set chicken aside.
As soon as the broth starts to boil, add rice. Reduce heat to medium and cook until tender. You’ll see the rice looks ‘puffed up’.
Generally, it’s half a cup (we use a small teacup, the ones used for Greek kafé or espresso) of dry rice per person, but we add an extra 1/2 cup for a ‘thicker’ soup.
Once the rice is just tender you can turn off the heat.
Whisk the egg whites until firm peaks.
Gently fold in the egg yolks to the egg whites.
Add lemon juice to the egg mix.
We find that adding 1/2 a cup (the same teacup used to measure the rice) of lemon juice per person is a good starting point to know how much lemon juice to add.
Slowly and gradually add a ladle of broth to the egg-lemon mix, stirring at the same time to be able to temper the eggs. Repeat a couple more times until ultra-frothy.
It’s vital to keep stirring to temper the eggs without them breaking (and falling flat). This can be most helpful with two people: one to slowly pour and one to stir fast.
Pour in gently the broth-egg-lemon mixture to the large pot of soup, stirring continuously.
Taste and add The Salty Greek Signature Blend and lemon juice if need.
Serve hot, or store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days–some people enjoy it more when it’s cold the next day.
Traditionally, freshly cracked black pepper is served on top but we find The Salty Greek freshly milled (with our ceramic grinders) works beautifully too.
The chicken can be shredded and added to the soup, it’s a personal preference. (see notes below)
Ensure that no part of your delicious leftover chicken goes to waste!
Yiayia would sometimes batter and deep fry the chicken (like KFC style!)
Add shredded chicken to a green salad or a pasta salad
Use as a filling to make sandwiches, tacos or wraps for a healthy lunch
Create a pot pie, add veggies and a flaky crust
More Recipe Ideas
