Authentic Greek Avgolemono
Anastasia Zindros arrived in Canada from Rhodes, Greece at the young age of six feeling she had landed on another planet. Later in life Anastasia realized that she could be both Canadian and Greek at the same time. “That is what makes Canada what it is - the diversity. There are these people, like me, that came here as immigrant children that have this strong Canadian identity. Now I want to kiss the ground every time I go on a trip and come back to Canada.” As the owner of Mezes, a popular Greek restaurant in Toronto’s famous Greektown, Anastasia is proud of what she has accomplished.
Lemony Chicken and Rice Soup (Avgolemono)
1 whole chicken cut into four pieces, plus one breast
1 tsp./5 mL salt
1/2 tsp./2 mL oregano
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp./25 mL extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup/250 mL carrots, sliced
1 cup/250 mL celery, sliced
1/2 cup/125 mL long grain rice
juice of 2 lemons
1 egg
1/2 cup/125 mL chopped fresh parsley
pepper to taste
In a large pot, place the chicken in enough water to cover completely, about 8 cups/2 litres. Add the salt, oregano, bay leaves, and olive oil. Boil for 15 minutes, then add the onion, carrots, and celery and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes.
Remove all the chicken pieces except for the one breast. Cut the remaining chicken breast into small pieces and place back in the soup pot. Add the rice and the juice of 1 lemon. Boil the rice until it is cooked but not soft.
Turn the heat off and remove 1 cup/250 mL of liquid from the soup. (If there is some rice or vegetable in it, it’s okay, but try to extract mostly liquid).
Crack the egg in a bowl and whisk quickly until it is frothy, about 1 minute. Add the juice of the other lemon and continue whisking until well blended. To this mixture, slowly whisk in 1 cup/250 mL of the liquid that was removed from the soup. Then pour this lemon and egg mixture into the soup very slowly. Stir for a few seconds to blend well.
Taste, add more lemon if necessary, and serve hot, sprinkled with the parsley and pepper. Tastes great with crusty bread.