Matzah Ball Soup
Created by Diane Silverman, a longtime friend of Art Smith
Matzah balls, as an alternative to noodles or dumplings that are made with flour, are served with soup during the Jewish celebration of Passover.
Servings: Makes 1–2 servings
Ingredients
Directions
In two medium bowls, separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites until stiff. In the bowl with the egg yolks, add the chicken fat and the salt and stir well. Add the 6 tablespoons of chicken soup and blend completely. Very slowly stir in the Matzah meal (if you add a large quantity of the Matzah meal too quickly, it will congeal into a clump which will be difficult to loosen up) and blend in the egg whites.
It is very important to let this mixture stay in the refrigerator for at least an hour to permit the meal to absorb the liquids.
In a 6-quart pot with a lid (a wide-mouthed pot), bring 4 quarts of salted water (1 teaspoon per quart) to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Or preferably, have available a large pot of chicken soup in which the Matzah balls can be cooked.
Try to handle the Matzah-ball mixture as quickly and gently as possible. One-by-one, drop balls (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter) into the simmering pot. Cover the pot.
Two important instructions: 1) If you want perfect and really light Matzah balls, simmering them for at least an hour and sometimes even 10 or 15 minutes longer is an absolute necessity. (Otherwise, the centers are grainy and not thoroughly cooked.) Also, use self-control and try not to lift the lid on the pot during the cooking period. Remember, you will have to adjust the heat a little bit from time to time, since you want the liquid to be simmering, not boiling.
If you cook the Matzah balls in water, rather than in chicken soup, when they are thoroughly cooked, put them into the chicken-soup pot and simmer for a little while longer, so that they absorb the flavor of the soup.
It is very important to let this mixture stay in the refrigerator for at least an hour to permit the meal to absorb the liquids.
In a 6-quart pot with a lid (a wide-mouthed pot), bring 4 quarts of salted water (1 teaspoon per quart) to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Or preferably, have available a large pot of chicken soup in which the Matzah balls can be cooked.
Try to handle the Matzah-ball mixture as quickly and gently as possible. One-by-one, drop balls (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter) into the simmering pot. Cover the pot.
Two important instructions: 1) If you want perfect and really light Matzah balls, simmering them for at least an hour and sometimes even 10 or 15 minutes longer is an absolute necessity. (Otherwise, the centers are grainy and not thoroughly cooked.) Also, use self-control and try not to lift the lid on the pot during the cooking period. Remember, you will have to adjust the heat a little bit from time to time, since you want the liquid to be simmering, not boiling.
If you cook the Matzah balls in water, rather than in chicken soup, when they are thoroughly cooked, put them into the chicken-soup pot and simmer for a little while longer, so that they absorb the flavor of the soup.
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