E is for Egg

Obviously everyone knows about the humble egg and yet I believe it is one of the most versatile ingredients ever discovered. Most people think of chicken eggs when they think of  them at all, but there are many other bird's eggs which have been eaten by humans (and other animals) for thousands of years. Not that anyone eats alligator eggs as far as I am aware. Other popular choices are duck, quail, roe and caviar. I know that once upon a time in the north of England, the fisherman would go out for lobsters and when they found a female with eggs, they would eat her roe instantly as a great treat. We used to eat a lot of roe in England but always cooked in one way or another. Caviar, which is roe of course, was not usually eaten cooked and many people would never try it. I have never eaten the really good stuff, but even the cheaper kinds are excellent to my palate.

Egg and Lemon or as the Greeks call it Avgolemono, is so very  typical a flavour in Greece. I made this recipe a while ago. It was delicious but, unfortunately I didn't have any dill and I subbed with cooked chicken. It was still very good. Me being me, I nearly forgot to take a picture. It would have looked much nicer with a dill garnish.


Greek Egg and Lemon Soup with Chicken, Rice and Beans

I used cooked chicken from a store bought rotisserie. Obviously cooking times have to be changed.

4 cup chicken broth

1 boneless skinless chicken breast, fat trimmed (about 8 oz.) 

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed or finely minced 

1/4 cup rice 

1/2 cup cooked navy beans 

1 egg, separated, at room temperature 

2 Tbs fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon) 

1/4 cup chopped dill salt and pepper to taste

Add the chicken broth, chicken, minced/crushed garlic, and brown rice to a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 35-45 minutes, or until both the rice and the chicken are fully cooked – the rice should be tender and the chicken should be cooked through, with no pink in the middle when you cut into it. Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, tear into bite-sized pieces, and set aside. Beat the egg white with a whisk in a medium bowl until it is white and thick. Lightly beat the egg yolk, then add the egg yolk to the beaten egg white and whisk together. Slowly pour the lemon juice into the egg mixture as you whisk. The mixture should be pale yellow and fairly thick. Slowly add a thin stream of the hot broth-rice mixture to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking the eggs vigorously as you do so, to temper the eggs. Use about half of the broth mixture in doing this. Pour the tempered egg-lemon mixture back into the pan, whisking the soup as you do so. Continue to stir, and add the chicken pieces, chickpeas, and dill to the pot. Cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring, to heat all ingredients through and slightly thicken the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot. Servings: 2

Have a great day