HUNGRY GERALD

Avgolemono soup (or sauce when thickened) is a Greek delight. A mix of egg, lemon juice and chicken broth, the soup is thickened with rice and topped with chopped parsley or mint (a sprinkle of Spanish Pimenton is optional). When used as a sauce it is versatile. Greeks use it as a topping for roast chicken, dolmades and grilled lamb. (BSK uses it on butterflied and barbecued leg of lamb, a sublime dish). Last night, BSK poached a filet of fresh halibut in the soup. The result was sea ecstasy, the perfect blend of the Aegean and Atlantic waters. Though simple, Avgolemono demands precise timing. BSK followed the late Michael Field’s recipe from “All Manner of Food.” (Field was the best writer of foolproof recipes). BSK was trying to replicate the soup BSK first tasted years ago at the late Leon Lianidis restaurant, The Coach House, on Waverley Place in Greenwich Village. BSK scored a bullseye. Avgolemono soup was a favorite of young HG at inexpensive New York Greek restaurants like Pantheon on 8th Avenue. The Pantheon sometimes added a scoop of orzo to the soup to create a hearty and filling mix. HG did the same last night (purist BSK observed with scorn). In any case, Avgolemono (soup or sauce) is sprightly with light elements of Hollandaise. HG suggests you make it part of your culinary arsenal.