How do I love Matzo ball soup? Let me count the ways...First time I had Matzo ball soup was at Cantor's Deli in the Fairfax district near West Hollywood more than 20 years ago. It was past midnight, had the munchies, and what better way to quell the hunger pangs than a late-night excursion to a Jewish deli? Doesn't get better than that!
I was hooked from that point on. I've noted over the years that matzo balls can run the gamut between light and fluffy to dense and chewy. I'm definitely not a fan of dense and chewy. Anyhoo, I recently watched an episode of Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Made" and Ron Ben-Israel's recipe for Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls" seemed like a winner:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ron-ben-israel/chicken-soup-with-matzo-balls-recipe/index.html
Here, I adapted Ron's recipe for the chicken stock. Differences are that I used 2 large onions instead of 4 medium, added 1 tsp. of coriander seeds, 3 sprigs of fresh dill, 4 tsp. of kosher salt (instead of sea salt), 2 fresh bay leaves (instead of dried) and 4 tbsp. Better than Bouillion Chicken Base to the broth. Also, I made the stock stovetop for about 4 hours rather than using a pressure cooker. For the matzo balls, I adapted Joan Nathan's recipe from The New York Times-I really like her use of nutmeg, a little ginger, and fresh herbs in her matzo balls, but I also added a little bit of baking powder, as suggested by other cooks, for added fluffiness.
Chicken Stock Ingredients:
5 lbs. whole chicken (or mixed chicken parts, chicken thighs)
10 cloves garlic, peeled
6 stalks celery, cut into large dice
4 carrots, peeled and cut into large dice
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
1 bunch of fresh Italian parsley
3 sprigs of fresh dill
1 tsp. coriander seed
4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves (fresh preferable)
I was hooked from that point on. I've noted over the years that matzo balls can run the gamut between light and fluffy to dense and chewy. I'm definitely not a fan of dense and chewy. Anyhoo, I recently watched an episode of Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Made" and Ron Ben-Israel's recipe for Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls" seemed like a winner:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ron-ben-israel/chicken-soup-with-matzo-balls-recipe/index.html
Here, I adapted Ron's recipe for the chicken stock. Differences are that I used 2 large onions instead of 4 medium, added 1 tsp. of coriander seeds, 3 sprigs of fresh dill, 4 tsp. of kosher salt (instead of sea salt), 2 fresh bay leaves (instead of dried) and 4 tbsp. Better than Bouillion Chicken Base to the broth. Also, I made the stock stovetop for about 4 hours rather than using a pressure cooker. For the matzo balls, I adapted Joan Nathan's recipe from The New York Times-I really like her use of nutmeg, a little ginger, and fresh herbs in her matzo balls, but I also added a little bit of baking powder, as suggested by other cooks, for added fluffiness.
5 lbs. whole chicken (or mixed chicken parts, chicken thighs)
10 cloves garlic, peeled
6 stalks celery, cut into large dice
4 carrots, peeled and cut into large dice
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
1 bunch of fresh Italian parsley
3 sprigs of fresh dill
1 tsp. coriander seed
4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves (fresh preferable)
3 tbsp. Better Than Bouillion chicken base
Matzo Balls:
1/2 cup of chicken stock (from above recipe)
1/4 cup schmaltz (chicken fat), at room temp.
Matzo Balls:
1/2 cup of chicken stock (from above recipe)
1/4 cup schmaltz (chicken fat), at room temp.
4 large eggs, well beaten until frothy
2 tsp. freshly grated ginger (or 1 tsp. powdered)
2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley and/or dill
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup matzo meal
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup matzo meal
4 quarts of chicken stock (canned, salted broth ok) - for cooking the matzo balls
Garnish:
3-4 carrots, peeled & cut on the bias
3-4 celery stalks, cut on the bias
3-4 sprigs of fresh dill
Shredded chicken from the poached chicken in the above recipe
CHICKEN STOCK:
Garnish:
3-4 carrots, peeled & cut on the bias
3-4 celery stalks, cut on the bias
3-4 sprigs of fresh dill
Shredded chicken from the poached chicken in the above recipe
CHICKEN STOCK:
1. Place the chicken (when using a whole chicken, make sure to remove giblets beforehand if they are in the cavity) in a large stock pot. Add the garlic, celery, carrots, onion, fresh parsley, dill, coriander seed, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves into a large 11-quart stock pot.
2. Add enough to the pot to reach the 10-quart mark in the pot, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 4 hours, skimming off the foam as it surfaces in the broth. Taste the broth and season with additional salt, as needed.
3. Strain the chicken broth through a colander into a large bowl. Remove the chicken to a separate bowl and discard the remaining solids. Cover and refrigerate the broth for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.
4. Separate the chicken meat from the bones by hand and place the meat into a container. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Add enough to the pot to reach the 10-quart mark in the pot, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 4 hours, skimming off the foam as it surfaces in the broth. Taste the broth and season with additional salt, as needed.
3. Strain the chicken broth through a colander into a large bowl. Remove the chicken to a separate bowl and discard the remaining solids. Cover and refrigerate the broth for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.
4. Separate the chicken meat from the bones by hand and place the meat into a container. Refrigerate until ready to use.
5. When the chicken stock has been thoroughly chilled, skim the chicken fat from the top and remove to a container. Reserve the fat to make the matzo balls.
MATZO BALLS:
MATZO BALLS:
1. In a medium bowl, add the eggs and whisk until beaten. Add the chicken fat, chicken broth, grated ginger and minced parsley/dill, and whisk until blended.
2. In another bowl, combine the matzo meal, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and baking powder.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a whisk until thoroughly combined. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
COOKING THE MATZO BALLS: Add 4 quarts of chicken stock to a pot; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Take the matzo meal mixture out of the frig. Wet your hands and, using an ice cream scoop as a measure, shape about 9-10 balls out of the matzo mixture. Place on a plate or baking sheet. Drop the matzo balls gently into the simmering stock. Let simmer for about 1 hour or until tender. The matzo balls will have doubled in size by now.
COOKING THE MATZO BALLS: Add 4 quarts of chicken stock to a pot; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Take the matzo meal mixture out of the frig. Wet your hands and, using an ice cream scoop as a measure, shape about 9-10 balls out of the matzo mixture. Place on a plate or baking sheet. Drop the matzo balls gently into the simmering stock. Let simmer for about 1 hour or until tender. The matzo balls will have doubled in size by now.
FINAL ASSEMBLY: Take the homemade chicken stock out of the refrigerator and pour into a large pot; bring to a boil. Blanch the sliced carrots and celery in the broth for about 5-10 minutes or until al dente; remove the veggies to a bowl and set aside. Add the reserved, shredded chicken meat to the stock, if desired, and bring back to a boil; turn off heat.
TO SERVE: ladle chicken broth along with some of the chicken meat into serving bowls; add one or two matzo balls for each serving, and garnish with reserved carrots, celery, and sprigs of fresh dill.
TO SERVE: ladle chicken broth along with some of the chicken meat into serving bowls; add one or two matzo balls for each serving, and garnish with reserved carrots, celery, and sprigs of fresh dill.
5 lb. whole chicken.
Chicken, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, parsley, coriander, peppercorns.
Strain the stock through a colander.
Shredded chicken.
Refrigerate the stock covered for 2-3 hours or overnight. The chicken fat will congeal on the surface. Skim off and reserve. This is the "Schmaltz" or rendered chicken fat that gives these matzo balls their great flavor.
"Schmalz" or rendered chicken fat.
Whisk together the eggs, schmaltz, chicken stock, herbs, and grated ginger.
Cover matzo mix with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
Using wet hands, shape each scoop into a ball.
Simmer the matzo balls in salted chicken stock for about 1 hour or until tender.
Carrots and celery sliced on the bias.
Cook the celery and carrots 5-10 minutes in the broth until al dente.
Blanch the sliced carrots and celery in the broth for 5-10 minutes or until al dente. Remove and set aside.
Add the shredded chicken to the broth.
Ladle one matzo ball into each serving bowl. Add some chicken, celery & carrot slices to the bowls. Garnish with a sprig of fresh dill. Ok to refrigerate any leftover matzo balls for about 2-3 days. You can also freeze them: place in a single layer on a small tray and freeze for 20-30 minutes, then place into a ziploc-type bag. Seal and freeze for up to 3 months.
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