Name: Classic Avgolemono Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 300ml
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 eggs; 60 ml lemon juice; 240 ml chicken stock; 2 g kosher salt; 1 g white pepper

Equipment

Medium mixing bowl

Whisk

Small saucepan

Ladle

Citrus juicer*

or Fork or hand squeezing

* optional

Ingredients

4 servings

Egg-Lemon Base

2 eggs, room temperature
60 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Broth Base

240 ml chicken stock, hot

Seasoning

2 g kosher salt
1 g white pepper, ground

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories

Protein

Carbs

Fat

Fiber

Sugar

452mg

Sodium

Method

In a medium mixing bowl, vigorously whisk the room temperature eggs until they are light, frothy, and pale yellow in color.

2mLook for: Pale yellow, doubled in volume, and frothy on the surface.

Gradually whisk the freshly squeezed lemon juice into the frothy eggs until completely incorporated.

In a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a gentle simmer, reaching approximately 85°C/185°F. Do not let it reach a rolling boil.

Look for: Small bubbles forming around the edges of the saucepan, faint steam rising.

The crucial tempering step: Slowly drizzle one ladle of the hot chicken stock into the egg and lemon mixture while whisking constantly and vigorously. This raises the temperature of the eggs gently without scrambling them.

Continue whisking and add a second ladle of hot stock to the bowl, ensuring the mixture is completely smooth and warmed through.

Pour the tempered egg-lemon mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining stock off the heat. Stir gently to combine.

Place the saucepan over very low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Do not exceed 71°C/160°F or the eggs will curdle. Season with kosher salt and white pepper.

2mLook for: Sauce coats the back of a spoon (nappe).Feel: Silky, slightly viscous texture.

Chef's Notes

For an exceptionally airy and frothy sauce, separate the eggs first. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks, gently whisk in the yolks, then the lemon juice before tempering.
Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bottled juice lacks the bright, volatile citrus oils that are necessary for the authentic, vibrant flavor of this dish.
If using this technique for a traditional chicken and rice soup (Kotosoupa Avgolemono), you can temper the hot soup liquid directly from the main soup pot into the egg mixture just before serving.
White pepper is preferred over black pepper purely for aesthetic reasons; it prevents black specks from interrupting the smooth, pale yellow appearance of the emulsion.