A favorite amongst all kids, this dish exudes a flavor that will inevitably haunt us all our lives, as it reminds us of our childhood years and mama’s cooking. While there are many different versions of this food all over Greece, with tomatoes, vegetables, and greens, but this is my favorite.
Serves4 servings
Cooks In10' preparation | 25' cooking
DifficultyTotally Doable
Ingredients
1.1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup Carolina rice
2 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Salt, freshly ground pepper
Yogurt to serve
SAUCE
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
6 ¼ cups meat or vegetable stock
EGG-LEMON SAUCE
2 eggs
2 lemons
Method
Put all the ingredients for the beef mixture in a bowl and combine well using your hands.
Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
PREPARE THE SAUCE
Melt the butter in a pot and add the flour, mixing thoroughly with a whisk over a medium heat, for about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and pour the warm stock, always stirring with the whisk.
Return pot and bring to boil on a medium heat.
Shape the beef mixture into small giouvarlakia (round meatballs), pop into the sauce and simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes.
EGG-LEMON SAUCE
Whisk the eggs and lemon juice.
Add a ladleful of warm liquid from the pot and then pour the sauce over the giouvarlakia.
Remove from heat and serve with yogurt.
TIPS
Enhance the food’s rich flavor with the dill and parsley stalks. Tie with kitchen string and place in the sauce. Remove before serving.
We can also add chopped potatoes and carrots to the sauce.