Mageretsa & psito - lamb & lemon soup wit

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
Stephen Ceideburg
1 Lamb leg
1 Lamb liver
1 Or more lamb heads
Several lambs' tongues
1 bunch Green onions, finely chopped
Potatoes
1 bunch Fennel, finely chopped
Olive oil
Oregano
Garlic
2 Lemons, juice only
½ cup Uncooked rice per person
3 Eggs
1 large Lemon, juice only

Directions

Into a large stockpot put sufficient cuts of lamb to feed the number of diners.

Aliki uses a leg, a liver, one or more lamb heads cut in half and several lambs' tongues (the meat is ordered in advance from a Greek butcher in Marrickville). Cover with water and bring to the boil.

Skim the stock, then add a bunch of green (spring) onions and a bunch of fennel herb, finely chopped. Cover and simmer gently until the leg of lamb is cooked, 2-3 hours.

Drain off the lamb stock and reserve.

Finely dice the cooked liver and add it to the lamb stock. Peel the skin from the lambs' tongues.

In a very large baking dish, put a generous amount of olive oil, oregano, garlic (Aliki does not put in garlic but many do) and the juice of 2 lemons.

Turn the lamb leg, tongues and head in this mixture to coat them and put them in the centre of the baking dish. Surround the meat with potatoes (Aliki puts in pumpkin, too) cut in chunks, turn them in the oil and put the dish in a moderate oven until the meats have crisped and the potatoes are cooked -- about one hour.

Turn the meat and vegetables midway through cooking.

Meanwhile, measure the-amount of liver-enriched stock neces- sary for the number of diners (about one cup per person) and cook in it half a cup of rice (preferably short grain) for every 6 people.

Separate 3 eggs and beat the whites until stiff, then add yolks and beat again.

Finally, add the juice of a large lemon. Ladle some of the simmering soup into the eggs then add the egg mixture back into the soup, stirring vigorously.

Adjust the seasoning and serve the soup.

After the soup, serve the roasted meat and potatoes with a simple salad (not too oily because the main dish is rich) of lettuce, cucumber, radishes and tomatoes.

Posted by Stephen Ceideburg

From an article by Meryl Constance in The Sydney Morning Herald, 4/6/93. Courtesy Mark Herron.

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