Simmered Chicken in Lemon Sauce
I wanted to share one of the classics of Turkish cuisine, boiled chicken, this time with a terbiye (egg-and-lemon sauce). Prepared this way, it becomes both more nutritious and more flavorful. It’s also a light yet filling dish that warms us up during the winter months and has a special place on our tables. Now, let’s take a look at what you should pay attention to when making terbiyeli tavuk haşlama.
Tips & Tricks
Chicken legs should be used bone-in, as the bones add much more flavor to the cooking liquid. Chicken cooked with bones releases a richer taste. While chicken legs are not mandatory, you can choose any bone-in chicken parts you prefer.
Vegetables should not be overcooked and should remain slightly firm. Vegetables boiled for too long can become mushy and ruin the texture of the dish. For this reason, they should be cooked whole and only as much as necessary.
The terbiye should not be added directly to the hot dish. Adding egg yolk straight into boiling liquid may cause it to curdle. That’s why it’s important to temper the sauce by warming it with the cooking liquid first.
The sauce should be added while stirring continuously. To prevent the sauce from curdling and the flour from forming lumps, it should be whisked constantly while being added.
Adding freshly squeezed lemon juice enhances the flavor of the dish. Instead of bottled lemon juice, freshly squeezed lemon should always be preferred. In fact, in my opinion, this tip applies to all dishes, including salads.
At the final stage, the dish should not be boiled for too long. Overboiling after adding the terbiye may cause the sauce to curdle, so bringing it to a brief boil is sufficient.
Terbiyeli tavuk haşlama is a wonderfully warming, comforting, soup-like dish, especially perfect for cold weather. It’s very flavorful, easy to digest, and nutritious. Since its broth is already quite similar to soup, there’s no need to serve an additional soup alongside it. If you’d like a more filling meal, you can serve it with rice; for a lighter option, a salad works perfectly.
To enjoy terbiyeli tavuk haşlama at its best, it should be served hot. If you like, you can sprinkle chopped parsley or your favorite spices over it when serving.
Enjoy…
Ingredients
- 4 chicken legs,
- 1 large potato,
- 2 carrots,
- 1 bowl of peas,
- 1 egg yolk,
- 1 tablespoon flour,
- Juice of 1/2 lemon,
- Salt,
- Black pepper.
Preparation
- Place the chicken legs, peeled potato and carrots (whole), and peas into a pressure cooker,
- Add water, salt, and black pepper, close the lid, and boil until everything is tender,
- Open the lid, strain the cooking liquid, and transfer it to a separate pot,
- Cut the potato and carrots into your desired size,
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and lemon juice,
- Gradually add some of the chicken broth while whisking,
- Add the flour and whisk until smooth,
- Pour the mixture back into the pot with the chicken broth, whisking continuously,
- Place the pot on the stove and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens,
- Season with salt and black pepper and stir,
- Add the peas, chicken, and chopped potato and carrots, bring to a brief boil, then remove from heat.
Enjoy your meal…