Arni Frikase
29
Well, I hate to break it to you after all this time, but I’m sorry to say that I’m a heathen.
Here I am, smack in the middle of Holy Week, where even those people who eat meat during the rest of lent typically fast, and I’m eating lamb. Yes, this is the week before Orthodox Easter and not only am I eating meat, but I’m eating lamb! I should be waiting for the delicious lamb on a spit that I will be eating plenty of come Sunday. But can you ever really have too much lamb? Meh, not in my book.
Arni Frikase or lamb fricassee is a very traditional Greek dish of stewed lamb with greens in egg lemon (avgolemono) sauce. Now, of course, there are many versions and interpretations of this dish, just as there are any other dish. Typically, though, the greens are romaine lettuce (marouli), but if you prefer spinach or mustard greens, or something else entirely, by all means use any combination of greens. Many people make this with green onions, but I prefer the flavor of leeks so I use them instead. This is often made with bone-in lamb or chops and while it is definitely delicious that way, I used some lamb I had in my freezer (stew meat from the shoulder).
I suggest serving this with some fresh bread to sop up all the avgolemono and a village (horiatiki) salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, feta, olives, and oregano with a few drizzles of red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Or, you could just serve it with some pilaf. Or what the hell, all three since we are being evil, anyway.
I’m hoping to have some updates for you next week, after returning from Michigan. Sorry for the sporadic posts as of late. To all my Orthodox peeps, Happy Easter and to the Greeks Kalo Pascha/Christos Anesti!
Arni Frikase
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1.5 lbs. boneless lamb, cut into 1-2″ pieces
1 yellow onion, diced
2 leeks, sliced
1 handful (2-3 Tbsp, chopped) dill
1.25 cups water
1 large head romaine lettuce (I actually used 2.5 hearts), chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons – I actually use a little bit more because I like it lemony)
Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat a dutch oven/pot with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add the oil and when it’s hot, add the lamb and brown. Stir in the onions, leeks and dill and cook until they begin to soften and turn golden.
Add the water and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer about an hour or as long as you want for the lamb to get tender. Check periodically to make sure there is enough liquid.
Add the lettuce and cover again. Allow the lettuce to wilt down into the mixture, stirring occationally. Remove from heat.
Whisk the eggs together with the lemon juice. Add spoonfuls of the liquid from the lamb into the egg-lemon mixture, whisking continuously to be sure the eggs don’t scramble. Then, add the egg-lemon/broth mixture back into the pot, stirring again. Season to taste if necessary.
I need to stop drooling. I have a feeling if Jesus was presented with this dish, he would even break the Holy Week fast. Kali Anastasi!
Have a blessed Holy Week and Paska.
I have always wanted to try the avgolemono and your recipe has just inspired me!!! Looks “sinful”!!!
Love it Elly..especially the use of leeks! have a Great Easter and all the best!
Ellh! Teleio to fagito sou! It looks so good! Kalo Pasxa!
Kali Anastasi Elly !
Have a great Easter !
Ahahaha, Heathen…you’re going to Hell…do not pass GO, do not collect $200- go to HELL!
The fricasse looks fabulous…great photo, plating and I can’t wait to dig into some lamb on Sunday.
Kali Anastasi!
That looks delicious Elly!
Kali Anastasi!
hello, heathen, haha~ at least you know your mouth is praising you! that looks outrageously delicious, and I never even liked lamb! now I really want to find myself some! just have to forget those pics of cute white fluffy lambs…
Happy Easter Elly – is that appropriate to say Happy Easter? I always thought Easter was such a solemn holiday.
I love lamb and I wouldn’t have thought to pair it with avgolemono. Hope you have a wonderful Easter!
The lamb looks super delicious Elly! I love all the dill in it!
WOW, I am not into lamb, but your recipe and the pictures are very tempting.
Hey Elly, I’m glad that I’m not the only heathen 🙂
Elly! I live like a block from Harvest Time!!! You must live super close to me now. My husband and I promised each other we could see Old 97’s live next weekend if we promised not to go out this weekend, but soon we’ll have to meet up. Maybe for Greek?
I never realized it, but I too, am a heathen. Maybe we should start a support group?
That lamb looks delicious. I have put this on the to do list.
well, greeks always celebrate two easters when the greek one falls on another day, so let’s just say yu were having an in-between period!
hope easter was good for you – it was a nice happy peaceful time for us
let’s spring into springtime for now and await the good weatehr in the summer
Lamb stew with avgolemono sounds really good!
hey hey neighbour!… greetings from Turkey!
im just an admirer (both to eat and to cook) of eastern mediterranean cuisine and I want to say is this dish is awesome!
I learned arni frikase from my great grandmother, she migrated from macedonia to smyrna during the war.. naturally she brought up the culture of her homeland, used to cook this dish occasionaly.
I also tired the receipt written in ‘mediterranean cuisine’ by some woman who actually couldn’t perceive the mentality of mediterranean culinary it was a complete fail..
adding leeks is a great idea because that is also a kind of onion after all… thank you for your receipt..
PS: if you like leeks, try vichysoisse soup…
all the best!
Hi Efe! Thank you for the comment, and I’m glad you liked the dish!
I made this last night for my husband and he flipped out! We eat avgolemono soup all the time but hadn’t tried it as a sauce over meat yet. So simple and delicious and the house smelled wonderful while it simmered! Served it over orzo and with some evil pita 🙂
Alice, I am so happy you and your husband enjoyed it! It’s one of our favorites. Avgolemono goes so well over everything in my opinion. 🙂
I went bananas over this recipe! The dill, the lemon, the leeks, the lemon; I could just go on and on. Much as I adore them, I’d always assumed that avgolemono sauces were really difficult to make and your awesome recipe proved me completely wrong. I can’t wait to make it again!
So glad you liked it, Marla!
Hi thanks for the recipe ! I’m making it tonight April 2, n wanted to let u know ur not alone! I’m also eating lamb! Lol I’m warming up for Pasxa! Lol After all it makes more sense rather than fasting 40 days n then pigging out on so much food like we Greeks do, shocking our system! Don’t u think ? Lol 😉
Kalo Pasxa, Happy Easter n thanks for the recipe ❤️
Haha totally agree, Jessikah. 🙂 Hope you enjoyed the frikase!
Hi, Elly! I have made this twice for me and my husband, and just like the comment below, my husband flipped out! I just love this recipe. I added some Yuzu Peels just because I had them on hand. Anything with Dill is love 🙂
I am with you there! Glad you enjoyed it!