Meatball soup – Jouvarlakia

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 large onions, diced
• 500 g minced meat, mixed
• 8 tbsp rice pudding
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 eggs
• ½ bunch parsley, chopped
• 6 tbsp flour
• 2 tsp salt
• pepper
• 2 tbsp clarified butter
• 2.3 liters of boiling water
• 8 tbsp rice pudding
• n. B. Salt, approx. 1 to 2 tsp
• 2 eggs
• 1 lemon(s), juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

Greek

For the meatballs, knead together the minced meat, diced onion, rice pudding, olive oil, eggs, parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. Form the mixture into walnut-sized balls. Coat them in flour. Heat clarified butter in a large pot and fry the balls in batches until lightly browned. Return all the meatballs to the pot. Add the water and bring to a boil. Add the remaining rice pudding and 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt, and simmer for about 30-40 minutes. Just before the end of the cooking time, make the lemon and egg sauce. Separate the eggs. Whisk the egg whites until fluffy, then stir in the egg yolks and slowly add the lemon juice. Combine the sauce with the soup. Pour the sauce into a deep soup plate. Slowly add a ladleful of hot soup to the sauce and stir. Repeat this process 2 to 3 times. Now stir this mixture into the pot and season the soup with salt and pepper, adding more lemon juice if you like it more acidic. This dish is an everyday staple in Greece, just like pea soup is in Germany.