LAMB FRICASSEE - ARNI FRIKASE

This delicious fricassee of lamb recipe, is made with the traditional Greek Avgolemono sauce (egg and lemon sauce).

The flavour of the succulent lamb cooking with the lettuce and then the sauce added at the end is simply fantastic.
The tangy lemon counteracts the richness of the lamb and creates an amazingly creamy sauce.

When you have cut up the 2 lettuces, you may be amazed at the sheer volume and think it is way too much, but believe me, it will reduce down and wilt once added to the sauce and create a nice base for this meal. You can use the juice of 3 lemons if you like the lemon flavour, as the Greeks do!

Serve with lots of fresh crusty bread for dipping in the sauce.

Ingredients

@1/4 cup olive oil
1.5kg lamb, any type of chops are suitable
2 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlice, crushed
3 cups, 750ml chicken stock
2 tablespoons honey
salt and pepper
2 iceberg or cos lettuces, washed well and shredded
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons fresh dill, or fennel, chopped
3 spring onions, trimmed and chopped

2 eggs - room temperature
@1/3 cup, 80ml lemon juice - approx juice of 2 lemons

Preparation

Cut as much fat off the lamb as possible.
If they are large chops, cut in half.

Heat oil in a large saucepan and add lamb in batches, fry until browned, turn over and cook on other side.
Remove from pan and place lamb on a plate.
Repeat, in batches, with the remainder of the meat.

Add more oil if necessary, heat and add onions, garlic and lemon rind and cook, stirring, until golden color.

Return the lamb to the saucepan, add the chicken stock, honey and salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer, covered on low heat for about 1 hour or until the meat is tender and cooked.

Add the shredded lettuce, herbs and spring onions to the fricassee.
Mix well, re-cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Take the pan off the heat for 5 minutes, before making the egg and lemon sauce.
Add 4 or 5 tablespoons of chilled water to the pan to cool and stir in.

To Make the Avgolemono Sauce

Separate the eggs, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.

Add the yolks, beat briefly until amalgamated.

Add the lemon juice and beat for 1-2 minutes more.

Slowly add 5-6 tablespoons of the hot liquid from the saucepan to the egg and lemon sauce - avgolemono 1 spoonful at a time, beating all the time.

We want to slowly increase the heat of the sauce, doing it too quickly will cook the egg!

Pour the sauce slowly into the saucepan, rotating it until it has mixed in well. Return to a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes in order to warm the sauce through.

Be careful not to overheat once the eggs have been added to the dish.
Remove from the heat and serve Lamb Fricassee immediately.

Return from Lamb Fricassee to Meat Recipes