Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Egg-Lemon Base
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 60 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Broth Base
- 240 ml chicken stock, hot
Seasoning
- 2 g kosher salt
- 1 g white pepper, ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 43 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 2 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 452 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 94 mg
- Potassium
- 61 mg
- Calcium
- 18 mg
- Iron
- 0.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 5 mg
- Phosphorus
- 54 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 40 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 6 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.15 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 15 mcg
- Water
- 92 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a medium mixing bowl, vigorously whisk the room temperature eggs until they are light, frothy, and pale yellow in color.
Gradually whisk the freshly squeezed lemon juice into the frothy eggs until completely incorporated.
In a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a gentle simmer, reaching approximately 85°C/185°F. Do not let it reach a rolling boil.
The crucial tempering step: Slowly drizzle one ladle of the hot chicken stock into the egg and lemon mixture while whisking constantly and vigorously. This raises the temperature of the eggs gently without scrambling them.
Continue whisking and add a second ladle of hot stock to the bowl, ensuring the mixture is completely smooth and warmed through.
Pour the tempered egg-lemon mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining stock off the heat. Stir gently to combine.
Place the saucepan over very low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Do not exceed 71°C/160°F or the eggs will curdle. Season with kosher salt and white pepper.
Chef's Notes
- For an exceptionally airy and frothy sauce, separate the eggs first. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks, gently whisk in the yolks, then the lemon juice before tempering.
- Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bottled juice lacks the bright, volatile citrus oils that are necessary for the authentic, vibrant flavor of this dish.
- If using this technique for a traditional chicken and rice soup (Kotosoupa Avgolemono), you can temper the hot soup liquid directly from the main soup pot into the egg mixture just before serving.
- White pepper is preferred over black pepper purely for aesthetic reasons; it prevents black specks from interrupting the smooth, pale yellow appearance of the emulsion.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Reheat very gently over a double boiler to avoid curdling. Do not microwave.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is grainy or looks like scrambled eggs.
Cause: The stock was too hot, or added too quickly to the eggs without enough whisking, causing the egg proteins to seize and curdle.
Fix: Immediately remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender, or strain through a fine mesh sieve. The texture will be slightly thinner, but the flavor will remain intact.
Prevention: Ladle the stock extremely slowly while whisking vigorously. Ensure the stock is at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil.
Sauce is too thin.
Cause: Not enough eggs were used relative to the liquid, or the sauce was not gently heated long enough at the end.
Fix: Whisk a teaspoon of cornstarch with a splash of cold water, stir into the sauce, and heat gently until thickened. Note that traditional avgolemono relies solely on egg for thickening.
Prevention: Ensure accurate liquid measurements and use large eggs.
Cultural Context
Avgolemono, from the Greek words avgo (egg) and lemono (lemon), is an ancient Mediterranean preparation that serves as a cornerstone of Greek cuisine. Brought to the region by Sephardic Jews who originally called their lemon-thickened sauces agristada, it evolved with the addition of egg into the velvety, comforting thickener used today. It defines iconic Greek dishes ranging from simple chicken soups to stuffed grape leaves (dolmades) and rich pork stews.
