Central Macedonian Arni Fricassee (Αρνί Φρικασέ Μακεδονίας)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •wide heavy casserole or Dutch oven, 28cm
• •ladle
• •balloon whisk

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the lamb

   Pat the lamb dry. Season it with 8g of the salt and the black pepper, then let it sit while you wash the greens and cut the onions. Even twenty minutes helps the seasoning reach past the surface.

2. 2

   Brown in batches

   Warm 80ml olive oil in a wide heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb in two batches until golden at the edges, 3 to 4 minutes per side, then move it to a plate. Don't crowd the pot. The meat should take color, not sit there sweating and going gray.

3. 3

   Soften the onions

   Lower the heat to medium. Add the yellow onion, the white parts of the spring onions, and the remaining 4g salt to the oil in the pot. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are glossy and sweet-smelling but not browned.

4. 4

   Braise the lamb

   Return the lamb and any juices to the pot. Add 650ml of the hot water or stock, enough to come about halfway up the meat, not cover it like soup. Bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the lamb is nearly tender when pierced near the bone.

5. 5

   Add the greens

   Add the romaine by handfuls, turning it into the broth as it collapses. Add the green parts of the spring onions and half the dill. Cover and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, until the lettuce is soft, the lamb is tender, and the broth tastes green and lamb-rich. Add the remaining hot water or stock only if the pot looks dry.

6. 6

   Rest the pot

   Take the casserole off the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes. Ladle about 350ml of hot broth into a jug or small pan. This pause matters because avgolemono wants heat, not a rolling boil.

7. 7

   Temper the avgolemono

   Whisk the eggs and lemon juice in a bowl until even and pale. Add the hot broth in a thin stream, one ladle at a time, whisking the whole time, until the bowl feels warm. Pour the avgolemono back into the pot while gently shaking the casserole, then return it to the lowest heat for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the sauce thickens and turns glossy. Do not let it boil.

   Hot broth into the eggs, never eggs into the hot pot. That is how the sauce stays silky instead of breaking into curds.
8. 8

   Finish and serve

   Rest the frikase for 10 minutes before serving. Scatter over the remaining dill, spoon on the final 15ml olive oil, and add a little black pepper. Serve in deep bowls with country bread or a plain rice pilaf to catch the sauce.

Chef Tips

• •Use lamb shoulder or neck, not lean little cutlets. This dish needs meat with bone and connective tissue so the broth gains body before the avgolemono goes in.
• •Romaine is the dependable house green for this version. If you have good endive, escarole, or tender wild horta, use some with the romaine. If the greens are tired, cook something else today.
• •Once avgolemono has gone in, the pot is finished. Reheat leftovers gently over low heat, shaking the pan, and don't bring it back to a boil.
• •Serve it with bread or rice, not a crowded plate of extras. The sauce is the point, and feta fights with it.

Advance Preparation

• •Cut and season the lamb up to 12 hours ahead, covered in the refrigerator. Bring it toward room temperature for 30 minutes before browning.
• •Wash and dry the romaine up to 1 day ahead. Keep it wrapped in a clean towel in the refrigerator so it doesn't water down the braise.
• •Braise the lamb through step 4 up to 1 day ahead. Add the greens and avgolemono on the day you serve it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 385g)