Mageritsa (Easter Lamb Soup)
Submitted by kat946
Mageritsa is the traditional Greek Easter lamb soup served after midnight Resurrection Mass. Lamb offal, rice, dill and scallions in a tart avgolemono broth thickened with egg and lemon.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minMageritsa is the soup Greek families ladle out after midnight on Holy Saturday to break the Lenten fast. It uses the parts of the Easter lamb that won’t be roasted the next day: intestines, heart, lungs, liver, sometimes the head and feet. Nothing is wasted, and the result is a deeply savory, slightly funky broth that’s worlds away from delicate.
The defining move is the avgolemono finish. Eggs are beaten until foamy, lemon juice goes in by streams, and then hot soup is added by drops while you whip steadily. That tempering is what turns a thin broth into a glossy, lemon-bright soup with a faintly creamy body.
Never boil the soup once the avgolemono goes in. Even one rolling bubble will scramble the eggs and ruin the texture. Keep the heat at a bare whisper and stir until it thickens just enough to coat the back of a spoon.
The fresh dill, parsley and scallions are not optional. They’re what makes mageritsa taste like spring and Easter, not just like offal.
Chef Tips
- Clean the intestines thoroughly with salt and lemon juice: this step is the make-or-break for the soup’s flavor and aroma.
- Cut the offal into small, uniform pieces so everything cooks evenly and is easy to eat from a spoon.
- Beat the eggs at least 2 full minutes before adding lemon. Underbeaten eggs will not emulsify properly.
- Sauteing the scallions in butter or oil first, as the recipe suggests, gives a richer, rounder soup. Worth the extra pan.
Variations
- For a less daunting version, skip the head, feet and intestines and use only lamb heart, liver and lung, plus 1 pound of cubed lamb shoulder.
- Add a handful of finely chopped fresh mint with the dill for a brighter, more aromatic finish.
- Some Greek regions add a pinch of fresh fennel fronds along with the aniseed for an extra anise note.
Ingredients
Directions
Note: If using the lamb’s head, wash it, then soak it in cold water for 3 hours.
Drain. Cut the head in half, using a sharp knife, and tie with a clean string.
If using the lamb’s feet and tripe, prepare as follows: If tripe is not parially cooked, cut open with a sharp knife and clean the inside thoroughly under running water.
Put in a pan with cold salted water to cover and soak for 30 minutes, then drain and wash with cold water.
Cut into small pieces and put in a large soup pot with the lamb’s feet.
Cover with cold water, and simmer until tender, adding salt to taste during the last minutes of cooking.
Cube the tripe, remove the meat of the feet from the bones, and add to the mageritsa at the same time as the cut-up intestines, adjusting the liquid by adding more water.
Clean the intestines thoroughly by turning them inside out, using a long skewer or stick (this turning will be quicker if the intestines are first cut into 2-foot lengths), then wash under cold running water until clean.
Rub the intestines with salt and the juice of ½ lemon, rinse again in cold water and drain.
Braid the intestines or tie the ends together with clean string.
Put in a large soup pot with the lamb’s head, if using, and cove with cold water.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, skim, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove the intestines, drain them, and cut into ¼ inch pieces with the scissors and set aside to add to the soup later.
(Use the remaining portion of the head for another dish.)
Bring the soup stock to a boil and add the scallions, parsley, dill, and celery leaves.
Cut the heart, lungs, and liver into small bite-sized cubes, and add them to the soup, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the rice, cut-up intestines, aniseed, salt and pepper to taste and continue simmering until the rice is tender, approximately 15 minutes, adding more water as needed and the brains during the last few minutes of cooking.
Half an hour before serving, bring the soup to a boil, then remove from the heat and prepare the avgolemono: Beat the eggs for 2 minutes.
Continue to beat, gradually add the remaining lemon juice.
Then 1 to 2 cups of the hot soup by droplets, beating steadily, until all has been added.
Add the avgolemono to the soup.
Stir over minimum heat until thickened.
Serve warm but avoid boiling the soup after adding the avgolemono.
A richer Mageritsa can be made by sautéing the scallions in 3 tablespoons butter or oil before adding to the soup.
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