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Matzo Ball Soup
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MATZO BALL SOUP

Course Main Course
Servings 4 servings
Author Raegan Steinberg, Alexander Cohen, and Evelyne Eng, authors of Arthurs: Home of the Nosh

Ingredients

Chicken Soup Stock

  • 4½ lb (2 kg) chicken carcasses, breast bones only
  • 1 medium boneless skinless chicken breast (or bone-in and/or skin-on if that’s what you find)
  • 6 oz (170 g) chicken feet or wings
  • 1 Spanish onion roughly chopped
  • 2 large carrots roughly chopped
  • 2 stalks celery roughly chopped
  • ¼ green bell pepper roughly chopped
  • ¼ small green cabbage roughly chopped
  • ½ Granny Smith apple roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2½ teaspoons white peppercorns
  • ½ bay leaf
  • ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
  • A few sprigs fresh parsley
  • A few sprigs fresh dill
  • A few sprigs fresh thyme

Matzo Balls

  • 1 cup (145 g) Streit’s matzo meal
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ sweet onion finely diced
  • 4 eggs yolks + whites separated, at room temperature
  • Generous ¼ cup (65 ml) Schweppes club soda or champagne if you’re filthy rich
  • 3½ tablespoons melted Schmaltz see below recipe
  • Neutral oil for forming balls

Instructions

MAKE BROTH

  • Rinse all the chicken to remove any blood and impurities. Place in a large pot, then cover with all remaining ingredients, minus the fresh herbs. Add enough water to cover everything by 1 inch.
  • Bring to a soft boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. After about 30 minutes, impurities will rise to the top. Skim them off and dis- card, then cover and simmer on low for 2 hours and 15 minutes.2 Do not stir, or the stock will become cloudy. After this simmering time, uncover the pot and gently submerge the herbs, leafy part first, agitating the stock as little as possible. Continue simmering, uncovered, for another 45 minutes without stirring.
  • Ladle the soup through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheese- cloth. For maximum clarity, ladle from only one side of the pot, then slowly pour in the rest. If desired, set aside the strained bits in the same pot and use it to cook the Matzo Balls later (the chef word for this is “remouillage”).

MAKE THE MATZO BALLS

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the matzo meal, salt, baking powder, onion, and a bit of black pepper.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, club soda, and Schmaltz.
  • In a third bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, being careful not to overwhip.
  • Make a well in the dry mixture, then pour in the liquid mixture. Working quickly, use your hands to mix the batter until no dry patches or lumps remain.5 Still using your hands, vigorously fold in a third of the egg whites. Use a spatula to fold in another third, then the remainder.
  • Cover the mixture with plastic wrap so that it touches the sur- face of the batter. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, or preferably overnight.
  • Pour a bit of neutral oil into a bowl and rub a bit on your hands. Grab a piece of batter about 1 inch in diameter. Hold your hands together like you’re cupping water, cradling the batter around, letting gravity shape it into a ball. Do not apply pressure, or the balls will turn out dense! Repeat with the remaining batter to make 6 to 8 balls in total. Store any balls you’re not using imme- diately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.