EGG-LEMON LAMB WITH ARTICHOKE HEARTS
from John Rudy
In Greek, it’s: αρνί με αγκινάρες, pronounced ar-NEE meh ahg-kee-NAH-res
A Greek classic but made differently by every family. Be sure to include bones since they are a traditional part of this dish. The tangy egg-lemon sauce (AVGOLEMONO) is the crowning touch, added just before serving.
Many years ago, we went to a restaurant in Cambridge called The Acropolis and had this dish, or something like it, maybe 3-4 times a year for 25 years. Then they went out of business. Years later, the chef resurfaced in a restaurant in Arlington, and I tried to get the recipe from him. He kept putting me off, and then, that restaurant went out of business too. I scoured the cookbooks, and then we went to Greece. We ordered this dish a few times but it wasn’t right, but eventually, we found it, and the chef gave me a “sketch” of the recipe. After a lot of tuning, this is the result.
It is hard to find decent artichoke hearts. I get them from the salad bar at Whole Foods. Lamb shanks are really best but not easy to find.
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients
2¼ lbs artichoke hearts
4 Tbs lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tsp salt
⅔ cup olive oil
2 small spring onions, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
4½ lbs leg and shank of lamb, bone in, chopped into large chunks OR 3 pounds of lamb, cut into large chunks and 1 pound of lamb bones
3½ cups water
Egg-lemon sauce
2 eggs, separated
6 tbs lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Instructions
- Rinse artichoke hearts with cold water, put in a bowl, and cover with juice of 2 lemons. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.
- Put the oil, chopped onion, and meat (and bones, if separate) in a pressure cooker over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover (don’t seal) and brown for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of cold water and bring to a boil. Seal, bring to full pressure, reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes.
Use fast-release of pressure and open the pressure cooker. Drain the artichokes and add to the pot. Bring to a boil, seal, and bring back to full pressure. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, use fast-release of pressure, and unseal the cover, leaving it on top of the pot.
- Make avgolemono sauce:In a mixing bowl, whip the egg whites to the soft peak stage. Still using the high setting, beat in the egg yolks until frothy, then beat in the juice of 3 lemons, 1 tablespoon at a time, making sure it’s well melded after each addition. The mixture will be rich and foamy. Reduce mixer speed to medium and add 5 soup ladles of the meat broth, one at a time, making sure each mixes in well before adding the next. Slowly pour the egg-lemon mixture into the pot, and shake to distribute evenly (do not stir).
John says that it was his mother who inspired his love of cooking and baking at an early age. (She cooked vegetables in boil-able packages.)