If you are sick, cold or sad, have you considered avgolemono? If you need to inject some joy into your health kick, have you considered avgolemono? If you have visitors stopping by for lunch and you’d like to serve up something special but unfussy . . . have you considered avgolemono?
This Greek chicken and rice soup made with egg and lemon is easy, delicious and almost always the right answer. The recipe comes from Nick Bramham at Quality Wines, who has been cooking it on repeat all winter.
Drink
Nick recommends a zesty, herbaceous retsina — for example, the one made by Tetramythos.
Substitutions
Try orzo instead of rice (same quantity) for an even silkier version.
Tip
The soup thickens as it cools, so to reheat it you will need to add water or stock to reach the desired consistency. Reheat slowly and gently to prevent the egg from curdling.
Nick Bramham’s avgolemono
To serve four
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Add the olive oil to a saucepan large enough to accommodate four litres of liquid, then gently cook the vegetables and bay leaves with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent (about 30 minutes).
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While the vegetables are cooking, arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in an appropriately sized pan, cover with two litres of water and add two teaspoons of fine sea salt.
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Bring up to a simmer with the lid on, then turn right down to the lowest heat and cook for exactly five minutes before killing the heat entirely and leaving alone until cool enough to handle.
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Remove the chicken from its water, reserving the cooking liquid. Chop the chicken cleanly into 1cm-ish pieces (it should be cooked through at this point).
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Add the rice, chicken and cooking water to the cooked vegetables and bring up to a very gentle simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.
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Whisk the eggs and lemon juice together. (This is the all-important avgolemono part!) Add a couple of ladlefuls of the hot soup to this mix to temper the lemon and egg, whisking constantly, before adding the lot back to the soup pan in a thin stream, stirring the soup thoroughly as you pour.
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Bring back up to a simmer and let tick along for five to 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened slightly. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Check the seasoning and acidity. Be generous with the black pepper. Stir in half the dill then let rest for five to 10 minutes.
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Ladle into warm bowls, sprinkle over the remaining dill, crack over more black pepper and drizzle with your finest olive oil.
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