Eating magiritsa is a high point of Easter for many Greeks, traditionally eaten in the early hours of Easter Sunday following the midnight service celebrating the Resurrection.
Magiritsa is the rich soup with which the faithful break their Lent fast.
It is typically made with lamb liver and other organs such as the lungs, heart and spleen as well as lamb intestines, plentiful dill and a roughly chopped head of lettuce. Another hallmark of the soup is the egg-lemon liaison added at the end.
Below you’ll find a traditional recipe to make your magiritsa perfect.
Kalo Pascha!
Ingredients (Serves 6):
- 1.5 kg lamb liver and other organs* cut into cubes (about 2-3cm)
- 1 small intestine (about 300gr), well cleaned** and cut into 3-4cm pieces
- 1 bunch dill finely chopped (remove any thick stems)
- 1 bunch parsley finely chopped (remove any thick stems)
- 1 large head of lettuce, washed and coarsely chopped
- 5 spring onions finely chopped
- 150ml white, dry wine
- 150ml olive oil
- 100g glutinous rice
- 2 eggs, yolks and whites separated
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- The juice of 1 lemon (or to taste)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cleaning the Intestine:
The night before place the intestines in a bowl and cover them with water, squeeze the juice of a lemon into the water (to whiten them) and place it in the fridge.
The next day take one end of the intestine, stretch the opening with your fingers and place the opening under the running tap. Allow plenty of water to flow in and then, squeezing the intestine, (it will swell like a balloon) push the water down towards the other end. Repeat the procedure a number of times until the water that comes out of the other end is clean.
Method:
1. In large stock pot heat plenty of salted water to a rolling boil and add the lamb liver and organs (not the intestine) and cook for about 2-3 minutes until they changes color and soften. Strain the meat and discard the water.
2. In the same, now empty pan, heat the oil on a medium head and sauté the onions with the lettuce and a little salt for about 2 minutes until they are soft and shrink in size.
3. Add the lamb liver and organs, the small intestine, the dill and the parsley and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring the ingredients with a wooden spoon until they are covered in oil. Add salt and pepper and pour in the wine. Let the mixture cook for 2-3 minutes until the alcohol has evaporated.
4. Add 1 liter of water and cook for 1 hour until the ingredients have softened.
5. Add the rice and continue cooking for 20 minutes until the rice is cooked.
6. In a bowl whisk the egg whites with the vinegar and a little salt until it forms a stiff meringue. In another bowl, beat the yolks with the lemon juice until light in color and frothy. Add the meringue, mix and gradually add broth from the soup with a spoon to the egg, mixing continuously so that the mixture gradually warms up.
7. Empty the egg-lemon into the mageiritsa, and shake the pan so it mixes in. Let it rest for 5 minutes for the flavors to combine and serve.
Recipe sourced By: Greece-is.com
