Carol Wolks Matzoh Balls Recipes

JOAN NATHAN'S MATZO BALL SOUP

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, schmaltz, stock, matzo meal, nutmeg, ginger and parsley. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Gently mix with a whisk or spoon. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours or overnight.
• To shape and cook the matzo balls, fill a wide, deep pan with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. With wet hands, take some of the mix and mold it into the size and shape of a Ping-Pong ball. Gently drop it into the boiling water, repeating until all the mix is used.
• Cover the pan, reduce heat to a lively simmer and cook matzo balls about 30 to 40 minutes for al dente, longer for light. If desired, the cooked matzo balls can be transferred to chicken or vegetable soup and served immediately. Alternatively, they may be placed on a baking sheet and frozen, then transferred to a freezer bag and kept frozen until a few hours before serving; reheat in chicken or vegetable soup or broth.

BEST MATZAH BALLS

Steps:

• Whisk eggs and olive oil in a bowl until combined; stir both amounts of club soda and salt into egg mixture. Mix matzo meal into wet ingredients to form a workable dough; if mixture is too wet, stir in 1/4 cup more matzo meal. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Wet your hands and form matzo ball dough into walnut-size balls. Gently place matzo balls into boiling water. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer matzo balls until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

CAROL WOLK'S MATZOH BALLS

Steps:

• Place the chicken broth in a deep pot over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the matzoh meal and eggs. Add the salt, vodka, club soda, chicken broth and vegetable oil. Mix well. Put in the freezer for 45 minutes.
• Use two tablespoons to form matzoh balls that are about two inches in diameter. When the broth is hot but not yet boiling, use a slotted spoon to place each ball into the soup. Cover the pot and cook for 40 minutes and serve.

MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• Whisk together the egg yolks, chicken stock, chicken fat, parsley, and salt. Stir in the matzo meal. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they are stiff. Whisk them into the matzo mixture until it is smooth. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or until the mixture is thick.
• Form balls the size of golf balls by shaping them with 2 spoons, rolling them with your hands, or scooping them with a small ice cream scoop. Drop them into simmering chicken stock and cook for 30 minutes, or until fully cooked and puffed, turning once. Remove and serve hot in chicken soup.

MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• Beat the eggs, oil, and seasonings in a mixing bowl. Fold in the matzo meal and mix until fully incorporated. Store the mixture, covered, in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours, or overnight.
• Boil 12 cups of water in a 4 to 5-quart saucepan. With greased hands, roll the batter into about 12 balls, a little smaller than ping-pong ball size, and drop into the boiling water. After about 5 minutes the matzo balls will begin to rise to the top of the water, and you can stir them gently. Boil until doubled in size, about 15 minutes total.
• Serve in chicken soup or use as a dumpling for other soups. Cooked matzo balls may be stored in the refrigerator, covered in water, up to 3 days.

MATZOH BALL SOUP

Steps:

• Trim off neck flap all the way up to the top of the wishbone. Trim fat and skin from around the back cavity of the chicken. Reserve both for schmaltz and grebenes. Cut chicken into quarters. Place meat in large pot with onions, and cover with about 4 quarts water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat , and simmer 2 hours.
• Add carrots and celery to the soup; simmer an additional hour. Season to taste with salt.
• Remove chicken pieces, and set aside. You may reserve them for another use, or shred the meat for the soup. Keep the chicken covered, and at room temperature before shredding.
• Dice reserved skin and fat into 1 inch pieces. Cook in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally. Make sure the pan never gets so hot as to cause the rendered fat to smoke. When the grebenes are crisp and brown, remove them to a cutting board and drain schmaltz into a small nonplastic bowl to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, mince the grebenes finely.
• To make the matzoh balls, blend fat or oil and eggs together. Mix matzoh meal and salt together. Combine the two mixtures, and mix well. Add 4 1/2 tablespoons soup stock or water; mix until uniform. Stir in minced grebenes. Cover bowl, and place in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• Bring soup to a boil. Reduce flame, and drop balls approximately 1 inch in diameter into the slightly boiling water. Add dill. Cover pot, and cook 30 to 40 minutes. DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER FROM THE POT WHLE COOKING!

MATZO BALL SOUP FOR PASSOVER

Steps:

• Make matzo balls: Using a small spoon, gently scrape away any fat that has solidified on surface of broth. Warm 1/4 cup fat in the microwave, reserve remainder for another use. In a large bowl, whisk together fat, 1/4 cup broth, egg yolks, salt and pepper. Whisk in seltzer, and immediately fold in matzo meal. In a separate bowl, with a mixer, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. In batches egg whites into matzo meal until just incorporated; refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Wet hands, form matzo mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, and drop into boiling water. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until matzo balls are puffed and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium pot, bring 8 cups broth to a simmer. Season with salt. Add sliced carrots and simmer until tender, about 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove matzo balls from water and divide among four bowls. Ladle broth and carrots into bowls and top with dill springs.

FLUFFY MATZAH BALLS

Steps:

• 1. Mix the eggs well with a fork. Add the chicken fat or oil, soda water or chicken broth, matzah meal, and salt and pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
• 2. Dip your hands in cold water and make about 12 balls slightly smaller than Ping-Pong balls.
• 3. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add salt and place the matzah balls in the water. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes until soft.
• Tip: I often make chicken soup and matzah balls ahead. After cooking the matzah balls I just place them in the warm soup, which I then freeze. The liquid keeps them fluffy. I defrost the soup, reheat, and serve. If you like them more al dente, use large eggs and cook a shorter time.

MATZO-BALL SOUP WITH LEEKS

Steps:

• Whisk together matzo meal, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and baking powder. In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs; whisk in chicken fat, matzo mixture, and seltzer until thoroughly blended. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. With lightly dampened hands, form heaping 1/3 cupfuls of batter into 8 balls. Gently drop balls, one at a time, into boiling water. When they all float, cover pot. Reduce heat to a gentle boil; cook 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, gently transfer matzo balls to a tray lined with a clean kitchen towel. Let cool 15 minutes, then cover tray tightly with plastic wrap. If not using immediately, refrigerate up to 1 day.
• In a pot, combine stock, chicken, carrots, lemon peel, and 4 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer; cook, partially covered, until chicken is just cooked through, about 35 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; let cool 10 minutes. Add leeks and simmer until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Pull chicken from bones; discard bones. Return chicken to pot and add matzo balls; bring to a simmer and heat through. Stir in dill; serve.