There are not many scents on this planet that provoke a favourable response as strong as that which basil seems to inspire and this positive feeling can only be intensified by using the punchier Greek variety. This is a take on the classic creamy and tangy Greek soup avgolemono, only with the basil ante well and truly upped. It may seem odd to add egg to a soup, but you can see a sort of sorcery at play as you stir in the eggs and watch the soup transform from watery broth to thickened, enriched elixir. Make sure you use the very best chicken stock for this it is the base for the flavour.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1½ Tbsp (20 g) butter
- 3 echalion shallots, finely sliced
- 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
- ½ cup (75 g) white long-grain rice
- 4¼ cups (1 litre) good-quality chicken stock (homemade if at all possible)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ lemon zest
- a small handful of Greek basil leaves, or finely shredded normal basil leaves
How to Make It
- Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan set over a low heat and let the butter melt. Add the shallots and the garlic and sauté very gently for about 10 minutes – don’t let them colour. Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil, then add the stock and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the rice is almost tender. Turn the heat off (so you don’t forget about it and let it start boiling) while you do the next bit.
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl until light, then add the lemon juice and whisk in. Scoop up a ladle of the hot soup from the pan and trickle it slowly into the egg mixture, whisking as you go. Tempering the eggs like this will stop them curdling when they are added to the pan. Once you’ve added about 3 ladlefuls in the same way, tip the egg mixture slowly into the soup pan, again, stirring all the time as you go. Turn the heat back on so it is very low and cook incredibly gently until the eggs begin to thicken the soup a little – do not let it boil or the eggs will scramble. Add the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.
- Just before serving, stir in most of the basil leaves. Ladle the soup into 4 warmed bowls and top each one with a sprinkle of the remaining basil and a good grinding of black pepper.