Sephardic Jews often served egg yolk-enriched sauces with meat dishes in place of milk-based sauces to adhere to the laws of kashrut. An offshoot of the well-known avgolemono sauce from Greece, agristada makes for an ethereal, light accompaniment to chicken or vegetables.
Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Zest of 1 lemon in long strips
1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Directions:
- Beat the eggs with the oil until they’re well combined.
- In a small dish, mix the flour with enough chicken broth (about 3 Tablespoons) to make a smooth paste. Slowly add the mixture to the eggs as you whisk.
- Gradually add the chicken broth and lemon juice, stirring constantly to combine.
- Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and stir constantly over medium heat until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Strain directly into a serving dish and serve warm (not hot) over chicken or vegetables, garnished with the lemon zest and parsley.
Additional Notes:
- To yield the most juice from your lemons, store them at room temperature. If they’re refrigerated, microwave them for 25 seconds before juicing.
- There is no substitute for fresh lemon juice, so throw away the bottled stuff!
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