Magiritsa I

Description
Magiritsa is the soup that Greeks break their 40 days fasting with after the midnight liturgy on Easter Saturday. Serves 6 persons!

Ingredients

 * a lamb's liver, heart, lights and intestines
 * juice of 3 lemons
 * salt
 * 6 spring onions, trimmed, rinsed and finely sliced
 * 25 g butter
 * 2 cos lettuces, trimmed, shredded and rinsed carefully (use only their young leaves and hearts)
 * about a teacupful of fresh dill or fennel, rinsed and finely chopped, or parsley
 * 1.2 litres hot water
 * salt and black pepper
 * 60 g rice

Avgolemono Sauce

 * 2 eggs
 * juice of 2 lemons

Directions

 * 1) Rinse all the meat.
 * 2) Turn the intestines inside out with the help of a thin stick and rinse them thoroughly.
 * 3) Rub them with salt and lemon juice and rinse them again.
 * 4) Cube them into small portions.
 * 5) In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in the butter, until they start to change colour.
 * 6) Add the chopped intestines, liver, lights and heart, fry together for a few minutes, stirring.
 * 7) Add the shredded lettuces and all the fresh herbs and sauté for a few more minutes.
 * 8) Add the hot water, and seasoning, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
 * 9) Then add the rice and cook for a further 10 minutes.
 * 10) Remove from the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes, before proceeding with the avgolemono sauce.
 * 11) Add the avgolemono sauce to the soup, stirring.
 * 12) Return to a very gentle heat for 2 minutes, stirring at the same time.
 * 13) It should be by now a quite a thick soup.