Greek Meatballs in Asparagus Lemon Sauce

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Kayelle

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Because this is a recipe put together by inspiration of other recipes, and my own ideas, I think I can safely call it my own. It's really delicious.

1 lb. ground lamb
1/3 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1/3 cup white onion, very finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground oregano, crushed between palms
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tbs. chopped fresh mint
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 large egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth (I use Swanson)
1 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 in. pieces

For the sauce:
2 large eggs at room temp
2/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (nothing else will do)


Combine ground lamb, rice, onion, garlic, parsley, mint, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add egg to mixture and mix well. Place flour in a shallow dish. With wet hands, shape into walnut-sized balls. Roll meatballs in flour and shake off excess.
Heat four cups of the chicken broth in a Dutch oven or a deep large skillet until boiling. Carefully place the meatballs in a single layer on the bottom of the pot. Gently simmer covered, over low heat for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and add the asparagus while you make the sauce, being careful not to over cook. You want it cooked till just crisp tender.

For the sauce:
Using a whisk, beat the eggs in a medium bowl until frothy. Add plenty of salt, and white pepper. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice. Ladle one cup of the pot liquid little by little into egg-lemon mixture to temper the eggs. Remove pot from heat and slowly add egg-lemon mixture stirring gently. Heat over very low heat until sauce thickens and is heated through. Take care not to allow the sauce to boil or the eggs will curdle.


Play music from Zorba the Greek, pour some white wine, and light some candles.

Serve in flat soup bowls, with plenty of crusty rolls to dip in the yummy lemon sauce.
 
Kayelle, any time you "create" something, you can definitely call it your own and this sounds fabulous! Thanks for sharing it.
 
This recipe brings back happy memories. Mom used to make a similar dish without the asparagus and it was always a favorite.

Thanks for stirring up the memory. Now I have to get cooking.
 
Thank you, LP. Glad it brought back happy memories Andy. :) The plain Greek lemon soup is a classic. I was tickled to see the first of the season's asparagus at Von's for $1.49 lb. It's my very favorite vegetable.
 
Last edited:
Well I just didn't copy this somewhere... I printed it out and made it! :chef:

Very nice recipe, Kayelle. It reminds me of my Koenigsberger Klopse recipe I posted here, but only because of the meatballs and lemon. It's very similar in flavor, but the lamb puts it over the top. In a big way. The rice in the meatballs was a very nice addition, too.

This was my interpretation. I served it over egg noodles. I was light on the asparagus. I only had one bunch, which was light by half a pound.
I will be making this again :)
 

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pacanis said:
Well I just didn't copy this somewhere... I printed it out and made it! :chef:

Very nice recipe, Kayelle. It reminds me of my Koenigsberger Klopse recipe I posted here, but only because of the meatballs and lemon. It's very similar in flavor, but the lamb puts it over the top. In a big way. The rice in the meatballs was a very nice addition, too.

This was my interpretation. I served it over egg noodles. I was light on the asparagus. I only had one bunch, which was light by half a pound.
I will be making this again :)

That looks great, Pac! Haven't had lamb in ages. Was it pretty mild in flavor? The lamb meat I mean.
 
Thanks Dawg :)
No, I wouldn't say it had a mild flavor. It was very flavorful, but I wouldn't say mild. It was lamby ;) Like some fish is fishy. You either like it or you don't. The herbs definitely help tame it down. This is basically how I make lamb burgers except I use fresh oregano (and no rice). The asparagus and lemon flavor went perfect with this.
 
Hmm. My most recent lamb consumption has been limited to Greek food and baby lamb chops. May have to give it a try again.
 
I revisited this recipe tonight. I've been eating so much pasta lately though that I simply ate it as is with some french bread.
How'd I do, Kayelle?

Putting the KA to use
img_1242357_0_bef48110593252327f4ed69e3a45f330.jpg


Rolled in flour
img_1242357_1_f8db4291e863080077f057be68286d7d.jpg


Simmering after turning
img_1242357_2_180c481fcf95726c29e496efb3e9641f.jpg


Asparagus added
img_1242357_3_3b8745c8a47c8cbab2d15780dbda6c65.jpg


And the sauce added
img_1242357_4_abe6f2a3702d1c20b38d0528abefcb75.jpg


And... :yum:
img_1242357_5_938fe4db77b425d52d8ec01c53cb70c6.jpg
 
I've been sending this one through my rotation about every other month. I've been using ground pork or beef because Shrek won't eat lamb. I've been able to make it lamb just once and it was divine.
 
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