Agnello alla Molisana con Uova e Limone in Brodo

Molise, southern Italy

Molise's Easter lamb preparation — a close cousin to Abruzzo's brodettato but simpler and cooked in a richer lamb broth rather than white wine alone. Young lamb shoulder is slowly simmered (not braised) in a broth made from the bones and offcuts for two hours until very tender, then removed and set aside. The strained broth is reduced. A liaison of egg yolks, beaten with lemon juice, flat-leaf parsley, black pepper and grated Pecorino Molisano, is tempered with several ladlefuls of the hot lamb broth before being returned to the pot off heat. The lamb pieces are returned and gently warmed in the thickened, creamy-yellow broth. Served in deep bowls with country bread.

• The egg-and-lemon liaison technique to thicken and enrich a hot broth or braising liquid — the defining preparation across Greek and southern Italian lamb cooking → Avgolemono soup (egg-lemon chicken broth) Greek
• Egg-lemon liaison stirred into a hot meat-based broth to create a creamy, thickened, slightly tart finish without cream or flour → İşkembe çorbası (tripe soup with egg-lemon) Turkish
• The direct culinary relative — the Teramo version uses white wine braising rather than simmered bone broth, but the egg-lemon finale technique is identical → Agnello brodettato teramano Abruzzese

Sweet, slow-simmered young lamb; rich, concentrated lamb bone broth; egg-and-lemon liaison turning the broth silky, bright and slightly sour; Pecorino Molisano adds sharp salt depth.