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chicken-lemon soup (avgolemono)
Brothers’ Deli, a local restaurant with Greek owners here in Salem, Mass., makes the best chicken-lemon soup and I love to get a quart of it and just eat that for lunch or dinner. In the fall or winter, when it’s cold and rainy, it’s a great warming dish with lots of chicken and rice with brightness and acidity of lemon. Here is a good approximation of Brothers’ Deli’s chicken-lemon soup.
You could start this recipe with canned or stored homemade stock, but if you’re already making stock, throw in some leg quarters or drumsticks or thighs while it cooks, then shred the chicken off the bone when the stock is done and use it in this soup. The longer the final soup cooks after the eggs have been added, the thicker it becomes. About 5 minutes of heating produces a soft, velvety texture; any longer and the soup begins to turn pasty. Reheated soup will be very thick with a gravy consistency.
Ingredients:
2 quarts chicken stock
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 12 ounces total), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (or shredded chicken from the stock)
1/2 cup long grain white rice
1 bay leaf
4 green cardamom pods, crushed, or 2 whole cloves
12 lemon zest strips (about 1-inch x 4-inch pieces), from 1 1/2 medium lemons
1-1/2 teaspoons table salt or 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
2 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
2 large egg yolks , preferably at room temperature
1/4 cup lemon juice from zested lemons
1 large scallion , sliced thin, and/or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Directions:
Bring chicken stock to boil in medium nonreactive saucepan over high heat. Add chicken, rice, bay leaf, cloves or cardamom, lemon zest, and salt; reduce heat to medium and simmer until rice is tender and stock is aromatic from lemon zest, 16 to 20 minutes. With slotted spoon, remove and discard bay leaf, cloves or cardamom, and zest strips; increase heat to high and return stock to boil, then reduce heat to low.
Whisk eggs, yolks, and lemon juice lightly in medium nonreactive bowl until combined. Whisking constantly, slowly ladle about 2 cups hot stock into egg mixture; whisk until combined. Pour egg-stock mixture back into saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until soup is slightly thickened and wisps of steam appear, 4 to 5 minutes. Do not simmer or boil. Divide soup among serving bowls, sprinkle with scallion and/or mint; serve immediately.
Serves 6 to 8. Makes 8 cups.
Source: Cook’s Illustrated magazine, March 2000
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