Classic lamb fricassee
Springtime greens, rich egg-lemon sauce and meat tender enough to cut with your fork: this is what fricassee is all about in Greece. Lettuce, chard, sorrel and other legumes come together with all sorts of herbs to create the ultimate springtime and Easter stovetop dish.
Chef: Asterios Koustoudis
Prep: 1 hour
Cooking: 2 hours
Ingredients
(serves 6-8)
• 2 kg lamb (or goat), from the leg or shoulder, bone-in, cut into portions
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
• 300 ml dry white wine
• 300 g sorrel (or other seasonal greens), roughly chopped
• 200 g chard, roughly chopped
• 200 g spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch chervil, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch hartwort, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 heads lettuce, thinly sliced
• 1/2 bunch wild fennel, finely chopped
• 1 bunch dill, finely chopped
• 4 egg yolks
• Juice of 3-4 lemons
• 100 ml olive oil
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper
Method
Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. In a large, wide pot, heat the olive oil over high heat and brown the meat for 5-6 minutes on all sides. Transfer it to a dish.
In the same pot and oil, saute the chopped onion with the fennel seeds for about 2-3 minutes. Return the meat to the pot along with its juices and add the wine. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the alcohol evaporates, then add enough water to fully cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and let it simmer gently for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, until the meat is very tender. During cooking, add more water if needed.
Add all the greens and spring onion, and cook for another 15 minutes, until softened. The greens will release their own juices, but if needed, add a little water so there is plenty of liquid in the pot for the avgolemono.
Add the dill and wild fennel, season with salt and pepper, stir and remove from the heat.
In a deep bowl, whisk the egg yolks until light and frothy and then add the lemon juice and small quantities of the broth gradually, while still stirring until the mixture has heated up. Then add it to the stew, shaking the pot gently so the egg-lemon sauce doesn’t separate.
Slow-cooked goat from Crete
The flavor of fennel defines this simple recipe from Crete, which is enhanced by the addition of potatoes.
Chef: Panagiotis Manganas
Prep: 30’
Cooking: 2 hours
Ingredients
(serves 6)
• 1 kg goat (leg), bone-in, cut into portions
• 1 kg goat ribs
• 2 onions, diced small
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into cubes
• 1 bunch wild fennel greens, roughly chopped
• 100 ml olive oil
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper
Method
In a wide pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onions for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the goat, cover the pot, and saute for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wild fennel greens, then pour in enough water to just cover the meat. Cook over medium heat for about 1 hour with the pot partially covered.
Add the potatoes and fennel bulbs to the pot and continue cooking for about another 20 minutes, until all the ingredients are tender and the dish is left with its oil and a light sauce. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
This story first appeared in Kathimerini’s food supplement, Gastronomos.