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Wedding rice cooked in rich meat broth with lemon and butter. The most celebratory dish in the Cretan canon.
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ingredients
•
🥩 MEAT
•
2.5 lbs bone-in lamb or goat pieces (shoulder or ribs)
•
🍚 RICE
•
2 cups long-grain white rice
•
🧅 BROTH AROMATICS
•
1 large onion, halved
•
2 celery stalks
•
2 carrots
•
2 bay leaves
•
6 whole peppercorns
🥛 DAIRY
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4 tbsp unsalted butter
•
🍋 FINISH
•
Juice of 2 lemons
•
Salt
•
Black pepper
•
Grated aged graviera or kefalotyri for serving
Crete
Gamopilafo
Celebratory wedding rice cooked in rich meat broth.
Wedding rice cooked in rich meat broth with lemon and butter. The most celebratory dish in the Cretan canon.
Ingredients
🥩 MEAT
— 2.5 lbs bone-in lamb or goat pieces (shoulder or ribs)
— 🍚 RICE
— 2 cups long-grain white rice
🧅 BROTH AROMATICS
— 1 large onion, halved
— 2 celery stalks
— 2 carrots
— 2 bay leaves
— 6 whole peppercorns
🥛 DAIRY
— 4 tbsp unsalted butter
🍋 FINISH
— Juice of 2 lemons
— Salt
— Black pepper
— Grated aged graviera or kefalotyri for serving
Prep
🍳 EQUIPMENT / PANS NEEDED
— Large stockpot — for the broth and meat.
— Wide saucepan or second pot — for cooking the rice in broth.
🔪 PREP FIRST
🥩 MEAT PREP
— Rinse lamb pieces and place in stockpot.
— Cover with cold water by 3 inches.
🧅 AROMATICS PREP
— Halve onion, leave skin on for color.
— Have celery, carrots, bay leaves, and peppercorns ready.
Method
STEP 1 — MAKE THE BROTH
— Bring lamb and water to a boil.
— Skim all foam from the surface — first 10 minutes.
— Add:
— Halved onion
— Celery
— Carrots
— Bay leaves
— Peppercorns
— 2 tsp salt
— Reduce to a steady simmer.
— Cook 1.5–2 hours until lamb is very tender.
STEP 2 — STRAIN & MEASURE
— Remove lamb — set aside.
— Strain broth through a fine sieve.
— You need at least 5 cups of clear broth.
👉 If you have less than 5 cups, add water to reach that amount.
— Taste broth — it should be well-seasoned and rich.
STEP 3 — COOK THE RICE
— Bring 4.5 cups of strained broth to a boil in a wide saucepan.
— Add:
— 2 cups rice
— 1 tsp salt
— Stir once, reduce to low.
— Cover and cook 16–18 minutes until rice has absorbed all broth.
STEP 4 — FINISH THE RICE
— Remove from heat.
— Add:
— 4 tbsp butter
— Juice of 2 lemons
— Stir gently until butter melts.
— Cover and rest 5 minutes.
— You're looking for:
— Glossy, separate grains
— Rich buttery finish
— Bright lemon threading through
STEP 5 — SERVE
— Mound rice onto a large serving platter.
— Arrange lamb pieces alongside or on top.
— Grate graviera generously over everything.
— Serve immediately.
Chef's Note: The broth is everything. Skim it diligently in the first 10 minutes — a cloudy broth makes dull rice.