Yields: 8 Time: 3 hours
Ingredients:
Broth:
4-5 lb. chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 pound of wings & carcasses (neck or back)
2 sweet onions
5 celery stocks, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped
1 head of garlic, unpeeled halved crosswise
Seasonings optional: Paprika, Turmeric
Kosher salt
Dill, or any scraps of green stems i.e. celery, or cilantro
Bay leaf
Fresh ground black pepper
Matzo Balls:
1 cup matzo meal
5 eggs
1/3 cup schmaltz (chicken fat) option to let soup cool and use from the top no need to buy
1/4 cup club soda
1 tbsp Ozem chicken consomme
Preparation:
I personally enjoy cooking my matzo in the stock, where most people will cook separate in salt water. The balls will absorb the aromatic mixture, and it just tastes better. ( In my opinion of course)
Matzo Mixture:
3. Mix eggs, matzo meal, schmaltz, ozem, club soda, and salt in a medium bowl (mixture will resemble wet sand; it will firm up as it rests). Cover with plastic and chill at least 2 hours.
Broth:
1. Combine chicken, onions (skin on) cut in half, garlic, celery, dill stems, bay leaf and carrots in a large pot. Fill with 12 cups of water, pinch of seasonings in stock pot, cover, and bring to boil. Then reduce heat to medium low so that the broth is simmering.
2. Continue to gently simmer for 1hr, uncovered, while skimming any impurities that float to the surface. This will give you a nice clear broth. While you still have plenty of stock and it hasn't been fully reduced we will now return to matzo mixture.
3. In a small bowl pour some water, scoop out your portions of matzo balls, using wet hands gently roll them to size of your liking and cook in broth for roughly 12 min. Using a slotted spoon carefully remove them and put on a tray. Continue to simmer your soup for another 1hr till it reduce by one-third.
4.Using tongs remove breast, thighs, and legs from the pot. Pick the meat from the chicken, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Strain with a fine mesh-sieve the stock into another pot, discarding the veggies and carcasses. Keep stock on low add your picked chicken breasts, thighs, and legs back to the pot.
5. Chop some fresh celery and carrot. Add to pot and cook till tender. Return Matzo balls to stock and serve with fresh dill.
Chag Sameach!!!!