Cooking Recipes

Matzoh Ball Soup

Ingredients:

SOUP
3 lb Soup chicken/foul, quartered
1 lg Onion studded with 2 cloves
Do not peel onion!!
2 Carrots,scraped-cut 3"pieces
2 Stalks celery-cut 3" pieces
2 sm Leeks,cleaned,cut in half
Length wise
1 Bunch parsley, trimmed
2 Parsnips,scraped-cut 3"piece
1 Sprig of fresh thyme or
1 tsp Dried thyme
Salt to taste
MATZOH BALLS
2 lg Eggs - lightly beaten
3 Tbs Seltzer
2 Tbs Rendered chicken fat (melted)
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Black pepper
1/2 cup Matzoh Meal

Directions:

Place chicken in a large soup pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and skim as needed. Simmer 10 minutes and add vegetables and herbs. Do not remove skin from onion as it adds a rich color to the soup.
Return to a boil briefly and then lower to simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours until chicken is tender and falls off the bones. Remove chicken, strain vegetables and remove as much fat from the surface as possible. Continue cooking briefly to reduce the soup to increase the concentration.
Chill soup in refrigerator until all fat congeals on the surface and can be removed with a large spoon.
Matzoh Balls:
In a bowl mix: eggs, seltzer, chicken fat, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in the matzoh meal until everything is well combined. Chill, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. With wet hands, shape the matzoh mixture into eight balls about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Reduce the heat to simmering and gently add the matzoh balls. When the balls rise to the surface cover the pot and poach the matzoh balls in the barely simmering water for 25-30 minutes. Check the matzoh balls to be sure they are cooked in the center.
IMPORTANT note by Suzy: Don't make matzoh balls larger than a large walnut as they puff up more than double in size. Be sure the pot you simmer them in is large and deep enough for the balls to expand and rollover in as they cook. The matzoh balls can be frozen after they are cooked. Place on a teflon coated cookie sheet and place in the freezer. When frozen remove and place the individual balls in a zip lock bag and store in freezer until needed. Defrost directly in the soup. Simmer the soup until the matzoh balls are thoroughly defrosted and hot.
Add matzoh balls to the hot soup and serve. Chicken can be served on the side or cut into bite size pieces and added to the soup with the carrots and parsnips if desired.
Matzoh Ball variations:
I. Add fresh minced dill to taste in the batter prior to chilling.
II. Shape matzoh balls around a dried prune or apricot. Then drop into the simmering water.
III. Grated nutmeg to taste in the batter prior to chilling.
IV. Replace matzoh balls with "fine egg noodles".

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