Kotosoupa Avgolemono

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, about 1.6 kg
• 2.5 litres cold water
• 1 onion, halved
• 2 carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 celery sticks, cut into chunks
• 2 bay leaves
• 150 g medium-grain rice
• 3 large eggs
• Juice of 2 large lemons, about 100 ml
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and white pepper
• Chopped dill, to serve

Before you cook

• Rinse the chicken and pull out anything left in the cavity
• Halve the onion and cut the carrots and celery into chunks
• Juice the lemons
• Bring the eggs to room temperature

Steps

1. Put the whole chicken in a large pot and pour over the cold water.
2. Bring it slowly to a gentle boil over medium heat.
3. Skim off the grey foam that rises to the surface until the broth runs clear.
4. Add the onion, carrot, celery and bay leaves.
5. Turn the heat down and simmer uncovered for 75 minutes, never letting it reach a rolling boil.
6. Lift the chicken out onto a board and leave it until cool enough to handle.
7. Strain the broth through a sieve into a clean pot and discard the vegetables.
8. Measure the broth and top it up with water to reach about 2 litres.
9. Season the broth well with salt and white pepper, then bring it back to a simmer.
10. Pour in the rice and simmer for 15 minutes until the grains are soft and have released their starch.
11. Pull all the chicken meat off the bones in bite-sized pieces, discarding skin and bone.
12. Return the meat to the pot and take it off the heat entirely.
13. Beat the eggs in a large bowl for a full minute until pale and frothy.
14. Whisk the lemon juice into the eggs in a thin stream.
15. Ladle a cup of the hot broth into the egg mixture very slowly, whisking without stopping, so the eggs warm without scrambling.
16. Repeat with two more ladles of broth, still whisking, until the bowl feels hot to the touch.
17. Pour the tempered mixture back into the pot in a steady stream while stirring the soup.
18. Return the pot to the lowest heat and stir for 2 minutes until the soup thickens very slightly and turns opaque, without letting it boil.
19. Taste and add more lemon or salt as needed.
20. Stir in the olive oil and serve straight away with chopped dill on top.