Avgolemono

Let's go to Greece.

For dinner.

And make a pot of Avgolemono (egg-lemon) soup with chicken and rice.

A Mediterranean dish that will transport us from the chill and fog that rolled in today.

Inspiration came from:

* a big bag of juicy lemons picked and delivered by a very dear friend

* a comprehensive internet search (lemon bars, lemonade, lemon cream mini-pies were all contenders)

* pictures that hang in our bedroom, sent by another dear friend that is a frequent traveler to Greece

After combining a couple of different recipes and adding a touch of dill, this is what I came up with for making quick and easy Avgolemono:

Ingredients:

1 store-bought rotisserie-cooked chicken
2 32-oz. containers of chicken stock/broth
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 cup of arborio rice (uncooked)
2/3 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 large eggs
Salt and Peper, to taste
Lemon zest and chopped Dill for topping

Directions:

Discard skin from chicken, pull meat off the bones and chop into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large pot and add chopped onions. Cook until translucent (6-8 minutes).

Pour chicken stock over onions. Add rice. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Cook for approximately 20 minutes (taste test to see if rice is completely cooked).

Add the diced chicken to the pot.

In a separate bowl, whisk 3 eggs. Add lemon juice and continue whisking.

Slowly pour a ladle of hot broth mixture into egg-lemon mixture while continuing to whisk (this is called tempering and will prevent the eggs from cooking). Continue with one more ladle of hot broth. Once combined, pour this mixture into the pot of hot broth/rice/chicken/onions.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle lemon zest and dill on top.

This is the first time I have eaten/made Avgolemono.

Years ago when we travelled to Athens, Santorini and then Crete, I spent the trip indulging in Greek Salads almost every day (doesn't come with any lettuce, by the way), fish, yogurt and the best tatziki in the world!

I wish I had ventured over to the soup section of the menu.