Chicken Avgolemono

Finally - I got the sauce right! I adapted this from a Bon Apétit recipe. Things I did differently this time were to add the liver to the sauce, to make an extra rich broth & then reduce the hell out of it, and to beat the egg whites first. The recipe calls for bitter greens like mustard or dandelion, but I was on a budget and used spinach. Niko in Mykonos used spinach in his, so who am I to argue? The only change I would make here is to cook the chicken for much longer. I want it to be falling off the bone.

For chicken:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
7 tablespoons olive oil
2 3.5-pound chickens, skinned, each cut into 8 pieces
Livers from chicken.

• marinate chicken and liver overnight.
• make stock out of back and wing tips. Strain, season with healthy pinch of saffron
  
• render oil from skin and fat

For sauce:
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 bunches mustard greens, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
3 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

• Fry chicken in oil until brown. Fry livers, mash, and mix with stock.
  
• Saute garlic and herbs about 2 minutes.
• Add wine and lemon juice. Boil, then simmer until reduced by half
• Add stock and chicken. Bake in 400 degree oven for 35".
• Reserve one cup stock. Reduce rest to 3 cups.
• Add greens. Cook for two minutes
• Add rest of herbs
  

For Avgolemono Sauce:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 large eggs, separated
Pinch of salt

• Whisk egg yolks.
• Whisk egg whites and pinch of salt until soft peaks form.
• Fold in egg yolks.
• Cook over simmering water until thick. Keep whisking.
• Slowly add 1 cup reserved stock. Cook until thick.
• Season, and pour over chicken.