Macedonian Kotosoupa Avgolemono (Κοτόσουπα Αυγολέμονο)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •heavy soup pot, 5 to 6L
• •fine-mesh strainer
• •large ladle
• •balloon whisk

Instructions

1. 1

   Start The Broth

   Put the chicken in a heavy 5 to 6L pot with the cold water, onion, carrots, celery, bay leaf, peppercorns, and salt. Bring it slowly to a simmer over medium heat, skimming the gray foam as it rises. Lower the heat and let it murmur gently for 55 to 65 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the legs pull easily from the body.

   A rolling boil makes a cloudy, tired broth. Keep it quiet and the soup will taste cleaner.
2. 2

   Strain And Shred

   Lift the chicken to a tray and let it cool just enough to handle. Strain the broth into a clean pot or jug, keeping the carrots if you like them in the finished soup and discarding the onion, celery, bay, and peppercorns. Pull the chicken meat from the bones in generous pieces. Measure the broth: you want about 2L. If you have less, add a little hot water. If you have much more, simmer it down for a stronger bowl.

3. 3

   Cook The Rice

   Return 2L of broth to the pot and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add the rice and the cooked carrots, sliced if you're keeping them, and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, until the grains are tender and the broth has a little body. Stir in the shredded chicken and keep the soup hot but not boiling.

4. 4

   Whisk Egg Lemon

   In a deep bowl, whisk the eggs until loose and a little pale, then whisk in the lemon juice. Taste your lemons first. Avgolemono should be bright, not harsh, so hold back a spoonful of juice if the lemons are fierce. You can correct at the end.

5. 5

   Temper The Avgolemono

   Take the soup off the heat. Ladle hot broth into the egg-lemon mixture in a thin stream, whisking all the time, and keep adding broth ladle by ladle until the bowl feels warm. Now pour the warmed avgolemono back into the pot, stirring steadily. This slow warming is the whole trick: it lets the eggs thicken the soup like silk instead of scrambling on contact.

   Hot broth into the eggs first, then the warmed eggs into the pot. Eggs into a boiling soup give you curds, and curds are honest but they are not avgolemono.
6. 6

   Finish And Serve

   Set the pot over the lowest heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, only until the soup looks slightly thicker and glossy. Do not let it boil. Taste for salt and lemon, then let it stand for 5 minutes before serving. Ladle into warm bowls with black pepper, a little chopped celery leaf or dill if you use it, and lemon wedges at the table.

Chef Tips

• •Buy the chicken for broth, not for prettiness. A whole bird, with wings, bones, and skin, gives body. Boneless breasts make a polite hot water, and life is short.
• •Once the avgolemono goes in, the soup must not boil. Reheat leftovers over low heat, stirring often, and stop as soon as the surface looks glossy again.
• •For make-ahead cooking, finish the broth, chicken, and rice first, then add the egg and lemon just before serving. If the soup thickens in the fridge, loosen it with a splash of hot water or plain chicken broth.
• •Serve it with bread and a small plate of olives or a sharp cabbage salad. No cheese in the bowl. Let avgolemono be avgolemono.

Advance Preparation

• •The broth and shredded chicken can be made up to 2 days ahead and chilled. Cook the rice and temper the avgolemono when you are ready to serve.
• •If you want to freeze it, freeze the strained broth and chicken only. Add fresh rice, eggs, and lemon after thawing.
• •Lemons can be juiced a few hours ahead, but taste again before finishing. Stored lemon juice sharpens as it sits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 540g)