My Mum's 'mageiritsa' Or Greek Lamb Soup

Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 1/2 kg lamb (fatty neck pieces are ideal)
• 1 bunch spring onion
• 1/2 cup rice
• 2 eggs
• 1 lemon, juice of, large
• salt and pepper

Recipe

• 1 wash lamb pieces well and throw them in a tall pot covering them with cold water.
• 2 bring to the boil, skimming the pot frequently and then turn the heat down and simmer for 2 hours.
• 3 add the spring onion which has been washed and chopped coarsely (around 2cm pieces.) add salt and pepper to taste.
• 4 simmer for another 20 minutes, then add the rice which has been rinsed and boil for another 15 minutes until the rice is cooked.
• 5 allow the soup to cool slightly and make an avgolemono or egg-lemon sauce.
• 6 separate the eggs and beat the whites for 5 minutes on low speed with a hand-held mixer until . (it must not be firm or meringue-like.).
• 7 add yolks and beat briefly, then add the lemon juice in a thin stream until the mixture is fluffy.
• 8 then add hot soup in a thin trickle beating all the while at a low speed until most of the broth has been incorporated. you will need a large bowl to do this and you should tilt it at the beginning when you beat the egg whites so they are covered by the beaters.
• 9 be careful not to go too quickly or the egg will cook and curdle, it must be warmed up gradually.
• 10 tip the contents of the bowl back into the pot and mix lightly with a ladle.
• 11 note: the lamb here in greece is very fatty so i don't add any oil at all to the soup but if you use leaner types of lamb (e.g. australian or new zealand) you may like to add 1/3 cup of oil to the soup.