Easter Mageiritsa soup with chicken livers - A milder version of the classic recipe

Two years ago I posted the classic recipe of the "Mageiritsa soup" but it doesn't end to that one... We also could have a vegetarian version of mageiritsa and again it doesn't stop to that either! There are so many things we could say about this special, once a year, soup!! The main star of the Easter Saturday night feast after the Resurrection church service in most households around Greece. There are as many versions of it as there are people's preferences! Different versions from region to region but also from household to household! Others they prefer "mageiritsa" soup rather thin and others quite thick, with egg/lemon or tomato sauce. Housewives argue about things(probably silly to the rest of us) like"should the lamb liver be cut in small cubes or roughly chopped?...»! And there are families which cook the same soup but in two different versions so to please everybody: one pot with chopped lettuce included and the other pot without any!!!! What can you really say? You just give up!:-)) So, this year's version of "mageiritsa" is for those who would like to taste some of the traditional Greek Easter dishes but the idea of the innards of the lamb (traditionally used in this soup) puts them off.... Try this one out, it is very tasty and hearty! The original recipe demands of trahanas but you can substitute with rice or bulgur

Adapted from "Cook Book" magazine of "ETHNOS" newspaper

Ingredients (for 4-6 people):
500gr. of chicken livers
1 bunch of Spring onions, finely chopped
1 small bunch of fennel fronds, finely snipped (or dill)
6 artichoke hearts, already blanched and cut in thin slices
1 Romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
4 tbsp of trahanas cracked wheat (or bulgur or rice)
½ tea-cup of olive oil
2 tsp of salt
black pepper

For the egg/lemon sauce:
2 eggs
2 lemons, the juice

Method:
Put the livers in a large pot with about 2 litres of cold water and leave in high heat until coming to the boil. Turn the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Discard the froth that forms on the surface while boiling with a slotted spoon. Transfer the livers with the slotted spoon on a plate and cut in small cubes. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a bowl and leave aside.

Clean the pot and dry thoroughly. Warm the oil in high heat and sauté the livers along with the Spring onions for about 10 minutes. Add the broth, the salt and leave the soup to come to the boil.

Add in the pot the trahana (or the bulgur or the rice), the artichokes and the lettuce. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover with the lid and simmer for about 20 minutes. In the end, add in the soup the fennel fronds and take the pot off the heat.

In a bowl beat the egg whites with a whisk until they are well frothy. Add the yolks, the lemon juice and beat again. While constantly beating, slowly (2 tbsp the time) add the hot broth into the bowl so the eggs will get the temperature of the broth.

Empty the egg/lemon sauce into the pot with the soup and gently stir. Check out if more seasoning is needed and serve the soup immediately.