Avgolemono: The Greek Sauce To Give Any Dish An Eggy Kick

Some Greek recipes are front and center on the table. From a simple Greek Salad recipe to the flakey spinach pie spanakopita, the flavorful dishes offer a taste of the Mediterranean. MasterClass does a deep dive into 10 traditional Greek ingredients that are often featured in popular Greek recipes. In addition to various fresh, seasonal items, Greek olives, olive oil, and feta are common items used in the kitchen.

While many cooks know how to make tzatziki, the Greek yogurt-based dip and sometimes condiment is not the only sauce used in Greek cooking. Avgolemono might not be the easiest word to pronounce, but it is a light, flavorful sauce that more home cooks may want to discover. According to My Greek Dish, Avgolemono is an egg-lemon sauce. It combines a broth or stock with a couple of eggs and a couple of lemons. Although some people might see a connection to the traditional mother sauce, hollandaise, the addition of stock makes the sauce looser and potentially more versatile than the butter-laden hollandaise. While this Greek sauce might be zesty addition to many recipes, the preparation might need a whisk of caution or the final result might not be as smooth as cooks may desire.

While the avgolemono offers versatility with its bright, luscious lemon egg flavor, the home cook does need to use care when making this recipe. According to Galaxy Gastronomy, combining the four ingredients, lemon, eggs, broth, and a starch, is relatively straightforward. While the starch is a thickening agent, adding more broth can loosen the final product. Overall, it is a ratio and balance scenario that can be modified based on preference.

Since eggs are used in the recipe, care must be made when adding the warm broth to the mix. Curdled eggs or cooked egg pieces are not appetizing in the sauce. Good cooking techniques and proper egg tempering are vital to the final product. My Greek Dish recommends starting with room temperature eggs and keeping the broth warm, not super hot, when bringing the two ingredients together. In addition, vigorous whisking can help to ensure the sauce is smooth. Although some cooks use a hand mixer or blender, some arm strength is just as good. Whether enjoyed as a lighter alternative to hollandaise or if you're looking for that zesty, lemon-forward brightness component, avgolemono might just be the versatile Greek sauce you've been seeking to elevate any number of dishes.

According to Lonely Planet, avgolemono can be traced back to 1492 when Sephardic Jews exiled from Spain brought a similar style of citrus-forward sauce to Greece. During the Easter holiday, the lemon-egg recipe can be featured in soup or even as a condiment for meat. Andrew Zimmern recommends drizzling the sauce over a roasted leg of lamb. Some people spoon the sauce over dolmades, pork, vegetables, and a variety of other recipes (per The Greek Reporter). Basically, the sauce can be used to add some acidity to heavier dishes in order to offer a more balanced bite.

While avgolemono is a sauce, as previously mentioned, it can also be a soup. As Greek Boston explains, the lemon egg sauce is the base flavor. Additional ingredients like chicken, orzo, or other pasta make the dish heartier. It might be the Greek grandma's version of chicken soup that seems to help any ailment. Whether enjoyed on its own as a meal or used as an accompaniment in other recipes, a drizzle of avgolemono is perfect for bringing a little more richness and zest to the table.