Mayiritsa is eaten to break the fast at Greek Orthodox Easter, after 40 days of Lent. Traditional recipes call for offal and intestines, but this recipe calls for lamb meat and bones, and creates a lovely soup.
Cook Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds of lamb shoulder + 2 pounds lamb bones
- 3 quarts of water
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 bunch of green onions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1/2 cup of uncooked long-grain rice
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
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- For the avgolemono:
- juice of 2 lemons
- 3 eggs at room temperature
Preparation:
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot.
Sauté the onion for 2-3 minutes, add the green onions and the meat. Turn the meat 4-5 times and add dill, salt, pepper, bones and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for two hours, skimming off the broth as needed.
Remove the meat, chop into small pieces, and return to the pot. Add the rice and cook for 20 minutes more.
Remove the soup from the heat. Beat the eggs well with a electric mixer, blender, or food processor (or wire whisk). Add the lemon juice slowly, continue to beat. Beat in several large spoonfuls of soup broth very slowly, a spoonful at a time. Add the mixture to the soup slowly, and stir. Cover the pot with a towel for 10 minutes. Serve.