Avgolemono

Name: Avgolemono
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Greece
Ingredients: 1½ l (6¼ cups) chicken stock, Chicken Stock or good store-bought; 400 g (14 oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 4; 100 g (½ cup) medium- or short-grain white rice, or orzo; 3 eggs, at room temperature; 75 ml (⅓ cup) lemon juice, from about 2 lemons, plus more to taste; 2 tbsp dill, chopped, optional; fine sea salt and black pepper, to taste; depends on stock

Greek egg-and-lemon chicken soup, silky without a drop of cream

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 20 min
Total: 50 min
Level: Some skill

Eggs and lemon whisked together and slowly warmed with hot broth thicken this chicken and rice soup into something pale, creamy and sharply bright. The whole technique is in the tempering: add hot broth to the eggs slowly enough that they thicken instead of scramble.

Ingredients

1½ lchicken stock (6¼ cups)Chicken Stock or good store-bought
400 gboneless, skinless chicken thighs (14 oz)about 4
100 gmedium- or short-grain white rice (½ cup)or orzo
3eggsat room temperature
75 mllemon juice (⅓ cup)from about 2 lemons, plus more to taste
2 tbspdillchopped, optional
fine sea salt and black pepperto taste; depends on stock

Diet: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Allergens: egg, celery
Origin: Greece

Method

Bring the stock to a simmer in a pot. Add the chicken and poach at a gentle simmer until it reads 74°C (165°F) in the center, 15–18 minutes. Lift out and shred with two forks. 16 min
Add the rice to the simmering stock and cook, stirring now and then, until tender, 15–18 minutes. Taste and season the broth with salt — it should be fully seasoned before the eggs go in. 16 min
In a heatproof bowl, whisk the eggs for 1 minute until frothy and pale, then whisk in the lemon juice.
Turn the heat under the soup to low. Whisking the eggs constantly, add one ladle of hot broth in a slow, thin stream. Repeat with two more ladles, one at a time. The mixture should be warm, smooth and slightly thickened.
Pour the egg mixture back into the pot, stirring gently. Add the chicken and heat, stirring constantly, until the soup is steaming and lightly thickened, like thin custard, 2–3 minutes. Do not let it simmer. 3 min
Taste and add more lemon, salt and pepper. Serve at once with dill on top.

Why it works

Egg proteins thicken liquids as they gently set between about 70 and 80°C, but curdle into lumps if they heat too fast. Tempering — adding hot broth gradually to the eggs — raises their temperature slowly and dilutes them, so they set into a smooth, suspended web. Whisking the eggs with the lemon juice first also dilutes the proteins, so they need more heat to bind into lumps.

Common mistakes

Pouring the eggs straight into hot soup: instant scrambled egg. Always temper.
Boiling after the eggs are in: the soup splits. Keep it below a simmer.
Seasoning after the eggs: you'll stir too long. Salt the broth first.

Variations

With orzo: Use 100 g orzo instead of rice; it cooks in about 9 minutes.

Make ahead and storage

Best fresh. Leftovers keep 2 days; reheat very gently, stirring, and never boil. Doesn't freeze.