One of the best parts of cooking in a restaurant or working with food in general is that you get to experience many seasonal items as well as holiday foods and traditions from many cultures.
Matzo ball soup or chicken soup with matzo balls is typical for several Jewish holidays. It is a pretty standard chicken soup made in an eastern European style.
My grandmother always made the chicken soup in this manner where you cooked the whole bird with whole vegetables. You would cut the vegetables and chicken meat up after it was cooked and add it to the broth. There was usually some starch added like chicken mousseline quenelles, chicken liver dumplings, noodles, rice or like this soup – matzo balls – which are a kind of dumpling.
It is important to cook the soup slowly and barely simmering to ensure a clear broth.
In the olden days they would use a soup hen which was an older bird that had stopped laying eggs and would therefore be destined for the soup pot. Often there was a lot more meat on the bird then you needed for the soup and it would be used for some other dish. People often ask for a soup hen in the store but you mostly find younger chickens that are raised for meat.
When you cook your chicken with the vegetables and seasoning. you will get a flavorful stock or broth which will be used for the soup. There will be some chicken fat that melts off the bird and ends up floating on the surface of the liquid. Skim the fat off the soup and render it down for the matzo balls or chill the stock overnight and lift it off the top. The fat keeps the matzo balls from drying out and gives added energy which was needed for hardworking farm hands.
This soup shows a wonderful way of utilizing every part of the ingredients and minimizing waste. A taste good and feelgood story.
Chicken soup with Matzo balls
6
servings10
minutes1
hour40
minutes0
minutesA basic and tasty chicken soup with matzo balls which is often served at jewish holidays.
Ingredients
1 3-4lb 1 chicken
4-6 qts 4-6 water
1 large 1 onion (yellow, Spanish or Vidalia)
1 lg 1 parsnip
3-4 ribs 3-4 celery
6 medium 6 carrots
4 cloves 4 garlic
3 whole 3 bay leaves
6 whole 6 black peppercorns
1 Tbs 1 kosher salt
2 Tbs 2 parsley fresh chopped to serve
- Matzo balls
1 cup 1 matzo meal
4 whole 4 eggs
1/4 cup 1/4 chicken fat (rendered)
2 Tbs 2 chicken stock
2 Tbs 2 parsley fresh chopped
1/4 tsp 1/4 pepper
1/2 tsp 1/2 onion powder (or 2 Tbs fresh minced onion)
1/2 tsp 1/2 garlic powder (or 2 cloves pressed fresh garlic)
1/2 tsp 1/2 kosher salt
Directions
- Wash the chicken well under running cold water. Wash, trim and peel the vegetables. Measure out all the ingredients for the soup.
- Place the chicken, whole peeled vegetables, seasoning and water in a roomy soup or stock pot. Bring the pot up to a boil and immediately lower the heat to a simmer. Skim off and discard any foam that comes to the surface at the start but do not keep skimming off the fat as you will need it for the matzo balls.
- Simmer the chicken and vegetables on low heat for 75-90 minutes until the chicken is done. Carefully remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter allowing them to cool off enough to handle with your fingers.
- Strain the chicken stock through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Let it rest at room temperature until the fat collects at the surface and skim off the fat and save it. You can also refrigerate the stock overnight and then scrape the fat off the surface. Place the fat you have skimmed off or scraped off the stock in a small pot and cook slowly to render down and cook out the liquid, set aside for the matzo balls.
- Bring the chicken stock to a simmer and taste it, adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. You can reduce the stock down for a richer flavor but do so before adding more salt. Make the matzo balls – recipe below.
- Cook the matzo balls in the chicken stock, they usually take from 12-25 minutes, depending on the size you make them.
- Cut up the reserved cooked vegetables from boiling the chicken and tear or cut up chicken meat for serving in the soup. Heat the vegetables and chicken in some of the stock and portion out in bowls. Add matzo balls and more of the broth/stock. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Use extra chicken for making more soup or for salads or other dishes. - Matzo balls
- Measure out all the ingredients.
- Place the matzo meal or crushed matzo crackers in a bowl with the seasonings. (if using crackers, crush them in a food processor, blender or coffee grinder)
- Mix the eggs lightly and add to the matzo mix along with the chicken fat and chicken stock. Stir everything until well mixed and set aside for 10 minutes to hydrate.
- The mix should have firmed up at this point, make matzo balls to your liking. Anywhere from the size of a marble to a golf ball. I recommend cooking one small portion at this time and tasting it to make sure seasoning is good or to be able to adjust it.
- Shape the balls with wet hands and cook in simmering chicken stock for 12-25 minutes depending on the size. Place in a bowl with vegetables, chicken and the soup. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Equipment
- Soup pot, paring knife, peeler,
measuring cups and spoons, large cooking spoon, strainer, mixing bowl
