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Arni fricassee
Arni fricassee: Greek spring lamb braised with lettuce, spring onions and dill, finished with egg-lemon
When cos lettuces and spring onions flood the markets around Easter, Greek cooks make arni fricassee: lamb braised slowly with mountains of greens and dill, then thickened at the last moment with avgolemono, the frothy egg and lemon sauce. The result is tender, tangy and fresh, a lighter alternative to the roast lamb of Easter Sunday, served with crusty bread to mop up the sauce. Common mistake: pouring the eggs straight into the bubbling pot, which scrambles them; temper them with hot broth first and keep the pot off the heat. Chef's tip: shake the pot to swirl the sauce in rather than stirring, so the lamb and greens stay whole.
- Total time
- 125 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the avgolemono
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a wide casserole over a medium-high heat and brown 2 ⅝ lb lamb shoulder on the bone on all sides, in batches if needed.
10 minStep 2: Add 10 spring onions and stir for 3 minutes until softened.
3 minStep 3: Pour in 2 ½ cups hot water, add 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour, until the lamb is nearly tender.
60 minStep 4: Pile in 2 heads cos lettuce and 1 ⅜ oz fresh dill, press down, cover and cook for 20–25 minutes more, until the greens are silky and the lamb pulls easily from the bone. There should be about 300 ml of liquid left; add a little water if less.
22 minStep 5: Take the pot off the heat. In a bowl, whisk 2 eggs until frothy, then whisk in ¼ cup lemon juice and 1 tsp cornflour.
Step 6: Slowly whisk 2 ladles of hot broth into the egg mixture to warm it. Common mistake: skipping this step, which curdles the sauce.
Step 7: Pour the egg mixture over the pot and shake it gently in a circular motion until the sauce turns creamy and pale. Leave covered for 2 minutes and serve at once; don't reboil.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 540 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does arni fricassee take?
- About 125 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 100 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
- What can I use instead of cos lettuce?
- Any crisp salad leaves, same amount.
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