Meat Balls Avgolemono Veal Balls With Lemon And Egg Sauce Recipes

THE TRADITIONAL EGG-LEMON SAUCE (GREEK AVGOLEMONO) RECIPE

Steps:

• To prepare the classic Avgolemono recipe, start by cracking the eggs into a bowl and whisk well.
• Gradually add the lemon juice and whisk again to combine.
• Add a little of the warm stock or soup and whisk quickly, add more and whisk again. The reason for slowly adding the broth is to gradually warm up the eggs so you don't end up with an omelette instead of a sauce!
• Pour gradually the egg mixture back into the pot, whilst constantly stirring and bring just below boiling point. Remove the pan from the stove and serve.

TRADITIONAL GREEK MEATBALL SOUP (GIOUVARLAKIA/ YOUVARLAKIA) IN EGG-LEMON SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• To prepare this Greek meatball soup, start by making the meatballs (youvarlakia). Place all the meatball ingredients into a large bowl, knead the mixture squeezing the ingredients with your hand until smooth. Leave the mixture to rest in the fridge for 15 minutes. This will prevent the youvarlakia to break up when boiled. Form the meatballs (youvarlakia) and set them aside.
• Pour into a large pan 2 ½ cups of water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and gently add the meatballs (youvarlakia) in the water, put the lid back on and cook for 20-25 minutes. (The water should be enough to cover the meatballs, so add some more warm water if needed)
• To prepare the egg lemon sauce for the Greek meatball soup, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Add the lemon juice and whisk well. Add into the bowl a ladle of hot soup and whisk quickly. Add one more ladle and whisk again until combined.
• Stir in the egg lemon sauce into the youvarlakia soup and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, until warm but not boiling.
• Serve this extra warming Greek meatball soup, while still hot with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
• Make sure that you do not cover any left overs until they have cooled; the sauce may curdle otherwise!!

MEAT BALLS AVGOLEMONO (VEAL BALLS WITH LEMON AND EGG SAUCE)

Steps:

• Put the veal in a mixing bowl.
• Heat one tablespoon of the butter in a skillet and add one-half cup of the onions. Cook, stirring, until wilted. Add this to the veal.
• Add the bread crumbs, half of the dill, the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Blend well. Shape the mixture into 28 balls of equal size, each about two inches in diameter or slightly less.
• Heat two tablespoons of butter in a casserole and add the remaining onions. Cook briefly until wilted. Add the veal balls and cook, turning gently to brown lightly. Add the broth and bring to the boil. Cover and let simmer about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat the eggs with a wire whisk in a bowl until well blended. Add the cornstarch and continue beating until thoroughly smooth and blended. Beat in the lemon juice.
• Pour one cup of the liquid from the meatballs into the egg mixture. Beat to blend.
• Pour this blend into the meatballs with their liquid and stir. Cook over gentle heat until thickened. Sprinkle with the remaining dill and serve.

GIOUVARLAKIA AVGOLEMONO (RICE MEATBALLS IN EGG-LEMON SAUCE)

Steps:

• Put bread and ground beef in a bowl, and mix and knead thoroughly.
• Add rice, parsley, celery, mint, oregano, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
• In a soup kettle, bring about 2 qt water to a furious boil.
• Keeping the water boiling, shape the meat into little round balls (about the size of walnuts) and gently drop them into the boiling water.
• Continue boiling for about 1/2 hour, and then set aside.
• Beat the whites of 3 eggs until frothy, but not stiff and shiny.
• Constantly beating, add the yolks until well mixed.
• Still beating add the lemon juice drop by drop.
• Bring butter and broth to a boil.
• Add this to the egg-lemon mixture, beating continuously.
• Place over VERY low heat, stirring in a S or X pattern (stirring round& round will cause sauce to curdle) until froth is almost broken down and sauce thickens.
• Serve hot.

MEATBALLS WITH EGG-LEMON SAUCE (YOUVERLAKIE ME AVGOLEMONO)

Steps:

• Mix beef, onion, mint, parsley, salt, pepper, and rice. Add 1/4 cup beef stock, and mix ingredients together. Form into walnut-sized meat balls.
• In a large pot, bring the remaining stock and water to a boil. Drop the meatballs into the boiling liquid, and lower the heat. Simmer on low for 45 minutes.
• In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and add the lemon juice. While beating, add a few spoons of the hot stock into the yolks to temper them. Then add the yolk mixture to the pot of meatballs, and stir constantly until incorporated. Cover the pot and remove from the heat. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

GREEK CREAMY LEMON MEATBALLS (AKA AVGOLEMONO)

Steps:

• 1. a small bowl, add your meatball ingredients. Mix well till rice is incorporated thoroughly with the meat mixture and spices. Using your melon ball scooper. Scoop out meat balls and set on a plate, set aside! When you have finished making your meatballs, in a large non stick skillet, add your olive oil, let heat and add your meatballs.
• 2. Let them brown on one side, turn over... and let them brown on the other side.
• 3. Lower heat to as low as it can go... add your stock (chicken base). Add your water and cover the meatballs thoroughly!! Increase your heat to medium.
• 4. Let the meatballs come to a boil/simmer. Lower the heat to low, cover and time them for approximately 15-18 minutes. Turn off heat when timer is done.
• 5. This is what they will look like when the 18 minutes or so are over... See how perfectly cooked the rice is... love it!!
• 6. Okay, let's get busy with that amazing lemon sauce shall we???? Gather your very simple ingredients! Juice your lemon, separate your egg. How simple can that be??? Now that you have separated your egg white from yolk, I want you take a whisk and beat the living daylights out of the eggwhite... till it's nice and frothy and creamy looking!! I don't want you to make it "meringue", we need it frothy....
• 7. Take about 1/3 cup of the chicken broth from the now cooked meatballs and pour directly into the beaten egg white mixture. Easy right? Now we need to add the lemon into this... beat well with the whisk. Finally add your egg yolk and the pinch of salt. Beat just a smidgen more, like 10 whisks is all I'm saying. What you are doing is literally "tempering" the eggs. In other words, you are introducing a very hot mixture into a "neutral atmosphere". So the mixture will not "curdle" when brought back into the hot.
• 8. Let the meatballs and now creamy lemon mixture come to a full boil. Turn off heat and your ready to serve!! Look at how creamy and low fat this sauce is... and did I mention AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS??? Our favorite way of eating this is over mashed potatoes... so darn good... just DELICIOUS!!!!!

YOUVARLAKIA AVGOLEMONO (LEMONY GREEK MEATBALL SOUP)

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, 1/4 cup dill, onion, carrot, rice, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Gently mix with your hands until well combined.
• Gently form the mixture into 24 meatballs, each about 1 1/4 inches in diameter, placing them on a plate or baking pan. Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes or up to 24 hours. This helps the meatballs keep their shape while cooking.
• In a large pot, bring stock to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium and use a slotted spoon to carefully add meatballs to the pot. The broth should cover the tops of the meatballs by about 1/2 inch. If not, add a little water. Simmer gently, adjusting the heat so the broth doesn't boil, until meatballs are cooked through and rice is tender, 25 to 35 minutes. (Break open a meatball to test it.) Remove pot from heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and lemon juice until just mixed. Slowly add a ladle of warm broth to egg-lemon mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk in another two ladles of broth to temper the egg mixture.
• Slowly drizzle the egg-lemon mixture back into the pot with the meatballs, stirring gently so you don't break apart the meatballs. Return the pot to medium-low heat until it just starts to simmer. (Wait for a bubble or two to appear, but don't let the pot boil.) The broth should be silky. Remove from heat, stir in remaining 1/2 cup dill. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. (It may need quite a bit of salt if you are starting with unsalted broth.) Garnish with nutmeg, if you like, and dill, and serve.