Winter is almost officially here and heartier Greek dishes enter the cooking rotation. Greek cuisine is rustic, humble and usually economical. Enter the Fricassee dishes.

Fricassee is traditionally a French dish that’s been Greek-a-fied. The most popular versions are made with lamb and today, pork. There are lots of vegetables like onions/leeks, leafy greens (many use romaine lettuce) and the liquid is fortified with an egg/lemon emulsion we call Avgolemono.

This is an easy dish, aromatic and it SCREAMS for crusty bread. A delicious dish, filling and one of my fave home-cooked Greek dishes.

Kali Orexi!

Pork Fricassee

(serves 4)

1 1/2lbs of pork shoulder (butt), trimmed of excess fat, cut into large cubes

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups of diced leeks (or onions)

1 stalk of celery, sliced on a bias (or 1 cup diced celery root)

3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped

3-4 strips of lemon peel

2 Tbsp. of chopped lemon verbena leaves (you can find dried at Greek or Middle Easter Stores, mint works well here

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 head of romaine lettuce, rinsed and coarsely chopped

approx. 2 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock (or water)

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh dill

Avgolemono Sauce

2 large eggs

juice of 1 lemon

1 Tbsp. corn starch

1. Place a Dutch oven or large deep pot on your stove top over medium-high heat. Season your pork with salt and pepper and olive oil into your pot. Brown meat on all sides and take out of pot, set aside.
2. In the same pot, turn down to medium and add the leeks, garlic, celery, lemon peel, lemon verbena and stir. Add a bit of salt, pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the wine, cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the chopped lettuce, bit of salt and cover. Uncover lid every 5 minutes and toss the lettuce so that it wilts evenly.
4. Add the pork back into the pot, hot stock and bring up to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 45 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, crack your eggs in a medium bowl, add lemon juice and corn starch.
6. After 45 minutes, your pork should be tender and the liquid should just cover the meat. If there’s excess liquid, simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes.
7. Add chopped dill, stir in. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Take off heat.
8. Vigorously whisk your egg/lemon mixture and bring the bowl close to pot. While whisking with one hand, use the other hand to slowly ladle about 2 cups hot liquid from the pot into egg/lemon mixture. I said S-L-O-W-L-Y.
9. Now slowly pour the tempered egg/lemon mixture back into the pot and shake the pot side to side with both hands. Leave uncovered for 5-6 minutes for Avgolemono to set.
10. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, divide and serve with lots of crusty bread.