In less than two weeks it will be Rosh Hashonah, the Jewish New Year, and we will serve our traditional dinner of Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls, Gefilte Fish (purchased these days), and Brisket in Onion Gravy with a starch, a vegetable, and cucumber salad.
My recipes for brisket and cucumber salad are already on this blog, so I thought I'd give you the Wohl Master Recipe for Chicken Soup and Matzoh Balls. Besides, I just got recipes from my friend Jonathan Hirshon and I want to be able to show him how I do it.
The chicken soup is easy -- just lots of fresh stuff into the pot.
- I always make chicken soup on the French principle -- if you are going to get all the chicken flavor into the soup, the chicken itself will be trash at the end of the cooking. I use chicken leg quarters, four pounds. (Chicken backs would be better and more economical but they're very hard to get these days.) I rinse them off and put them into the pot with a quart of chicken soup (the low fat, low salt kind that comes in a box).
- Next I add the vegetables - 1 peeled large onion, 2 peeled small turnips, 2 peeled small parsnips, 4 peeled carrots (or a bag or the little guys), 2-3 leeks, well washed and split, a clove of peeled garlic, 2 stalks of celery with the leaves, a large handful of parsley and a bunch of dill.
- Add water to cover.
- Add seasoning: 1-2 teaspoons of sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, 2 bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook for 1 hour.
- Drain through a fine sieve.Discard the chicken and vegetables.
- If you like carrots in your soup, cook several thinly sliced carrots and a handful of chopped dill in the soup when you warm it for serving We usually chill it first and remove the fat before rewarming for serving. This means making it the day before is best.
- If you like chicken in your soup, put several breasts (on the bone) into the soup for the last 20 minutes of cooking. Take them out before straining the soup and reserve. Remove skin and bones and shred the chicken to add to the soup or use as lovely poached chicken.
Meanwhile, make the matzoh balls. These are the fluffy ones. The secret to fluffy is really simple (if you like them this way, which is our family tradition) just be sure not to add too much matzoh meal and don't make balls -- the compacting makes them dense. Just scoop the mixture lightly with a spoon and drop it into the soup. The irregularity of the shapes adds to its charm.
We use the recipe right off the matzoh meal box, multiplied up because I always make it based on 12 eggs (we like lots to eat and lots of leftovers).
- Whisk 12 eggs or use 3 cups of egg substitute (works great).
- Whisk into the eggs 3/4 cup of water and 3/4 cup of vegetable oil.
- Slowly mix in (don't use the whisk, it will become enmired) 3 cups of matzoh meal.)
- You can season with a teaspoon of sea salt (or more to taste) and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
- Cover with plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator for 45-60 minutes to firm up.
Meanwhile, bring a large, wide pot of water to the boil.
Scoop the matzoh meal mixture up by the spoonful (I use a big mixing spoon that holds about two tablespoons but you can make them any size) and drop them into the boiling water. A twist of the spoon will help them drop into the water. You may need to wash the spoon from time to time. I also spray it with vegetable oil spray.
Cover the pot (but leave the lid slight;y ajar) and cook for at least 50 minutes. Test the matzoh balls until they are cooked through. It always takes longer than you think it will -- mine usually take about 75 minutes.
If you're serving soon, remove with a slotted spoon into the soup for rewarming. Otherwise remove to a plastic container, gently fill with cold water, cover and refrigerate for up to three days. Makes lots (about 18-20 depending on size).
