The most well-known version of mayiritsa is made with lamb or kid offal (intestines, other organs) – as a way of using those parts of the animal that will be eaten on Easter day; however, lamb isn’t everyone’s choice. This version of the famous Greek Easter soup is made with chicken livers and is a delicious alternative.
Ingredients:
- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 pounds of chicken livers, well rinsed and drained
- 20 green onions (about 1 pound), finely chopped
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
- 1/2 cup of fresh chopped dill
- 1/2 cup of short grain rice, well rinsed
- 1 large beef bouillon cube
- 10 cups of water
- 2 teaspoons of sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 heads of Romaine lettuce, well washed and chopped
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- FOR THE AVGOLEMONO (EGG-LEMON SAUCE)
- 3 eggs at room temperature, separated
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon of water
Preparation:
Sauté onions and chicken livers in 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil until livers are gently browned. Using a kitchen shears, cut livers into small pieces.
Add the chopped lettuce to a large pot of boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain.
Add water and bouillon cube to a large pot and bring to a boil. Add sautéed chicken livers and green onions, 1/3 cup of olive oil, dill, salt, and pepper. When boil resumes, reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes.
10 minutes after the soup has been slow boiling, stir in the wilted lettuce.
10 minutes before the end of cooking time, stir in the rice.
At the end of cooking time, remove the soup from the heat.
Prepare the avgolemono (egg-lemon sauce): Beat the egg whites and yolks separately. Stirring continuously using a fork or whisk, add yolks to whites, and add water and lemon juice. When well combined add 2-3 large spoonfuls of hot liquid from the soup – one at a time – continuing to whisk without stopping. (The key to avgolemono is to stir or whisk throughout the entire process.) Add the avgolemono mixture to the soup and stir to distribute.
Cover the pot with a clean towel and let sit 10 minutes before serving.
Yield: serves 8
