Greek Main Courses
Arni Fricassee Recipe (Greek Lamb and Lettuce in Avgolemono)
Αρνί φρικασέ ar-NEE free-kah-SEH · Arni fricassee
In short
Arni fricassee is lamb braised slowly with lettuce, spring onion and dill until tender, finished with avgolemono, the egg and lemon sauce. It is one of the classic Greek Easter dishes, an alternative or companion to the whole roasted lamb, using cuts and greens rather than a whole spit.
Arni fricassee is often overshadowed by the whole spit-roasted lamb that dominates most people's picture of Greek Easter, but it is every bit as classic a dish for the occasion, braising lamb pieces slowly with a generous quantity of lettuce and spring onion until everything turns tender, then finishing the whole pot with avgolemono, the silky egg and lemon liaison.
Lettuce as a cooked vegetable, rather than raw in a salad, surprises people encountering this dish for the first time, but braised gently it turns soft and slightly sweet, closer in texture to braised chard than anything resembling a fresh salad leaf.
This is real, patient braising followed by the careful final step every avgolemono dish demands, and it rewards both stages being given proper attention rather than rushed.
Key preparation steps
- Brown lamb pieces well before braising.
- Add spring onion and dill, and simmer until nearly tender.
- Stir in shredded lettuce and cook until just wilted.
- Finish with avgolemono off the heat.
Browning and braising the lamb
Lamb shoulder, cut into fairly large chunks, browned hard in olive oil before anything else goes into the pot, then simmered gently with a generous amount of sliced spring onion and chopped dill and just enough water or stock to almost cover, for around an hour, until the meat is very nearly tender.
Adding the lettuce
Shred a generous amount of cos or romaine lettuce and stir it into the pot only once the lamb is nearly done, since lettuce needs far less time than the meat, ten to fifteen minutes at most, to soften properly without disintegrating into the sauce entirely.
The avgolemono finish
Take the pot fully off the heat before starting the avgolemono, exactly as with any egg and lemon dish. Beat eggs well with lemon juice, temper gradually with several ladlefuls of the hot cooking liquid, whisking constantly, then pour the tempered mixture back into the pot and stir gently to combine.
Do not return the pot to the heat once the egg has gone in, or the sauce will split and turn grainy. Serve immediately, since this dish, like any avgolemono, does not reheat well once finished.
Tips from my kitchen
Brown the lamb properly first
This step builds real depth into the braising liquid that the rest of the dish depends on.
Add the lettuce only near the end
It needs far less time than the lamb and will disintegrate into the sauce if added too early.
Never boil after the egg goes in
As with any avgolemono, the sauce splits and turns grainy if returned to the heat once the egg and lemon liaison is added.
Arni Fricassee Recipe (Greek Lamb and Lettuce in Avgolemono)
Αρνί φρικασέ · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 30m
- Cook
- 1h 30m
- Total
- 2h
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot. Season the lamb and brown hard in batches until well coloured. Set aside.
- Add the spring onions to the same pot and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
- Return the lamb to the pot, add half the dill and the hot water or stock. Season, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour, until the lamb is nearly tender.
- Stir in the shredded lettuce and cook, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until just wilted and the lamb is fully tender.
- Take the pot completely off the heat. Beat the eggs well with the lemon juice, then temper with several ladlefuls of the hot liquid, whisking constantly.
- Pour the tempered mixture back into the pot, stirring gently to combine. Do not return to the heat.
- Stir through the remaining dill and serve immediately.
Nutrition, per 1 portion
- Calories
- 486
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Sat fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Arni fricassee
Why does this dish use lettuce as a cooked vegetable?
Braised gently, lettuce turns soft, slightly sweet and closer in texture to cooked chard than a raw salad leaf. It is a genuine, traditional Greek use of lettuce that surprises people expecting it only raw.
Can you use chicken instead of lamb?
Yes, a chicken fricassee follows the same method and is also traditional, generally needing a shorter braising time before the lettuce and avgolemono stages.
Why did my avgolemono split?
Almost always because the pot was still on or too close to the heat when the egg mixture was added. Take it fully off the heat and temper the eggs gradually with hot liquid before combining.
