Avgolemono sauce is a classic Greek sauce. It is lemony, silky and can be served with just about anything. It takes a few minutes to make and it turns a simple dish into an elegant one.
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
Grilled Chicken Breasts:
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil + 1 Tbsp for the grill pan
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 large garlic clove finely minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Orzo:
- 1 cup (190 g) orzo
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup (100 g) carrots cut into matchsticks
Avgolemono Sauce:
- 2 cups (500 ml) warm chicken stock
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 whole large egg
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice, or to taste
- 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp fresh chopped dill
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation:
Mix all marinade ingredients in a flat dish large enough to hold breasts side by side. Add chicken and toss them well in the marinade. Refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add orzo, salt and a good grind of fresh pepper. Pan fry orzo stirring constantly for about 3 minutes or until orzo is light golden brown. Pour chicken stock over the orzo and bring it to a quick boil. Give it a good stir to avoid clumping. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the matchstick carrots. Cook for about 7 minutes longer or until orzo and carrots are “al dente”. Drain over a sieve. Set aside in a bowl and keep it warm.
While the orzo is cooking, heat a grill pan over high heat for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Make sure that the grill pan is well coated with the oil. Grill chicken breasts for 5-6 minutes, on each side without moving.Turn and grill the other side for 5-6 minutes longer depending on the thickness of the breasts. Meat should have nice brown grill markings. When breasts are ready, remove grill pan from heat and cover it with a foil. Let them rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Prepare the Avgolemono sauce. Whisk egg yolk, whole egg and lemon juice in a bowl until frothy. Add the cornstarch/water mix to the eggs and whisk until smooth. Add the warm chicken broth gradually while stirring constantly over low heat. Cook until sauce starts to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Keep a close eye, eggs should not cook and sauce should not curdle.Remove from the heat, stir in the dill and keep it warm.
Arrange orzo on a warm plate with the grilled chicken and avgolemono sauce.
