Psarosoupa Avgolemono, a well known dish from the Greek Islands. The Psarosoupa (psari = fish, soupa = soup) is prepared with Avgolemono (avgo = egg, lemono = lemon), a tangy, velvety emulsion. Many recipes advise you to use the “catch of the day”. I am not an angler nor can I buy fresh fish where I live, so I use the catch of my local supermarket.
Servings: 4
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups (140 g) leeks, thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
- 1/2 cup (40 g) scallions, sliced plus extra for garnish
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup (140 g) orzo
- 1 lb (450 g) monk fish or any firm fleshed fish like cod, grouper or mahi-mahi, cut into 2 inches cubes
- 8 large shrimps, peeled and deveined
- 2 large eggs
- 1 lemon juiced
- 4 cups (1 L) vegetable stock
- 2 cups (60 g) spinach leaves, stems removed
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup (60 g) crumbled feta cheese
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation:
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and scallions and cook until the leeks and scallions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add the vegetable broth to the leek mix. Season with salt and pepper. Add the orzo and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until orzo is “al dente” about 6 minutes.
Prepare the Avgolemono while the orzo is cooking. Beat the two eggs and 2 tablespoons lemon juice until frothy. In order to avoid curdling add the egg/lemon mix to only 1 cup/240ml of the broth. Take this mixture and add it to the remaining broth. These 2 steps must be done slowly while while whisking vigorously. Always watch that the broth is barely simmering with just a few bubbles here and there.
Finally add the fish and shrimps and poach over low heat. Again, don’t let the soup come to a boil. It will curdle the eggs. Cook until the fish and shrimp are opaque and soup is slightly thickened. Add the grated ginger and spinach. Cook until spinach is just wilted. Taste for seasoning.
Serve soup garnished with the crumbled feta, scallions and remaining lemon juice if you like.
