Cretan Lamb And Greens Casserole With Egg-Lemon Sauce

Cretan Lamb And Greens Casserole With Egg-Lemon Sauce
4 from 5 ratings
This recipe by Diane Kochilas is a great example of traditional Greek comfort food. The pot juices are thickened into a sauce with avgolemono, a mixture of eggs and lemon juice beaten until frothy. With just seven ingredients, shopping for this dish is a snap, too. Click here to see My Big Fat Greek Easter.
Servings
6
servings
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 1/2 pound lamb shoulder, cut into stewing pieces
  • 2 cup coarsely chopped onion
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 1/2 pound trimmed greens (any combination of spinach, chard, chicory, sorrel, wild fennel, vine shoots, bryony, or thistles)
  • 2 large eggs
  • fresh strained juice of 2 lemons
Directions
  1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large wide stewing pot and add the lamb. Brown on all sides. Remove and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion to the pot and sauté, stirring, until translucent, about 8 minutes.
  2. Place the meat back in the pot and stir together with the onion. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add enough water just to cover the lamb. Cover the pot and simmer for about 1 ½ hours.
  3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and blanch the greens for a few minutes to wilt. Drain and rinse under cold water in a colander. Add the greens to the lamb and continue cooking for 30 more minutes. (Add more water during cooking if necessary. There should always be liquid in the pot.)
  4. Make the avgolemono: Using a wire whisk, beat the eggs and lemon together until frothy. Then take a ladleful of pot juices and add them to the egg mixture in a slow steady stream, whisking all the while. Pour the avgolemono into the pot, remove from the heat, and tilt the pan so that the sauce is evenly distributed. Serve immediately.