Slow Cooker Giouvarlakia (Rice Meatballs) in Egg Lemon Sauce

Place potatoes, carrots and celery in the bottom of the slow cooker stoneware and pour in the water. Use boiling water to slightly speed up cooking time. Sprinkle with one teaspoon of salt. Turn on to low.

In a large bowl combine the meat, onion, parsley, rice, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper and oil. Mix well with your hands till it comes together and shape the mixture into large meatballs (I get about nine with these amounts). Pop them on top of the veg in the slow cooker (no problem if they aren’t all submerged in the water) and cook on low for 6.5 hours.

After time is up, check that the veg is cooked through. Take the meatballs out of the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and keep them warm as best you can. In a mixing bowl beat the eggs and lemon juice till well combined. Place the bowl next to the slow cooker, and using a ladle, slowly add small amounts of hot juice into the egg mixture, beating continuously. Start with about one tablespoon at a time, and gradually increase the amount of juice added to the bowl. This is called tempering the eggs and it needs to be done so they don’t scramble. When most of the juice from the slow cooker has been transferred to the egg mixture, and the bowl feels warm to the touch, pour the mixture back into the insert. Take the insert out of the base, move it round a bit so the sauce gets mixed up with the veg, and put it back.

Put the meatballs back into the slow cooker, turn it off, cover, and leave for about 5 minutes till it’s all warmed through again from the residual heat of the stoneware.