Lamb and Artichokes Avgolemeno

More cool and rainy days upon us but this weekend's supposed to be sweltering hot. For those familiar with hot weather on the east coast, we're expecting hot & humid weather for the weekend.

This cooler weather is allowing me to squeeze in some Greek comfort dishes before I'm in "full-on" grilling weather.

It is still Spring which means lamb is season along with lemons and artichokes. Following me so far?

It's wonderful to be able to have affordable lamb in the Spring and celebrate each & every time it's on the table. What you have here is a dish that would be served to you in a Greek home or at one of the many "open-kitchen" style eateries that are still quite popular in Greece.

Lamb and Artichokes Avgolemono
(for 6)

1 shoulder of lamb (approx 1 kg.)
12 small artichokes, peeled and cleaned
1/2 cup olive oil
6 scallions, finely chopped
3 medium onions, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup chopped fresh dill
2-3 cups of water
salt & pepper to taste

Avgolemono
2 eggs
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp. flour
splash of water

1. Clean/trim your artichokes and place in a water bath that's heavily spiced with lemon juice and reserve.
2. In a large pot, add your olive oil over medium-high heat and then add your onions, scallions and garlic(add toward the end) and simmer on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes to soften and almost all the liquid is gone. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sauteed vegetables and reserve on a plate.
3. Using the same pot, add your lamb shoulder (some more oil if necessary) and brown over medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes or until a nice colour has formed. Add back your sauteed onions and scallions and season with salt and pepper and add enough water (2-3 cups) to cover.
   
4. Place the cover on the pot and simmer for about 90 minutes or until the meat is fork tender and becomes easy to remove from the bone.
5. Add your artichokes and chopped fresh dill and simmer for another 20-30 minutes (or until the artichokes are tender). Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and take off the heat. Remove the bone and separate the meat into pieces.
   
6. Meanwhile in a bowl, prepare your Avgolemono Sauce by beating your eggs and flour and while still beating, add your lemon juice plus a splash of cold water.
7. Take a ladle of stock from the the pot and whisk into the Avgolemono mixture. Continue whisking and add another ladle of stock.
8. Add your Avgolemono back into your pot and shake the pot gently to allow the Avgolemono to set with the rest of the stew.
   

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