Matzo Ball Soup
By Lan LamPublished on January 18, 2023
Time
3 hours, plus 45 minutes chilling
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Broth
1 (4-pound) whole chicken, neck and giblets reserved, liver discarded1 small onion, unpeeled, trimmed and halved3 carrots, chopped coarse1 celery rib, chopped coarse2 teaspoons table salt 4 sprigs fresh dill ½ teaspoon black peppercorn 2 whole clovesMatzo Balls
3 large eggs 3 tablespoons schmaltz ½ cup seltzer 1 cup (4 ounces) matzo meal ½ teaspoon salt plus salt for cooking matzo balls½ teaspoon baking powder (optional)Soup
½ cup chopped carrot (optional)½ cup chopped parsnip (optional)½ cup chopped celery (optional)Table salt for cooking matzo ballsChopped fresh dillBefore You Begin
You can purchase schmaltz or make your own; you can also replace schmaltz with vegetable oil, but the matzo balls won't be as flavorful. If making schmaltz, remove and reserve the skin and fat from the breast and leg quarters, along with any fat exposed when the bird is broken down. Matzo meal varies in coarseness; weigh it for the most tender results. For the lightest texture, add baking powder (a kosher brand, if desired) and seltzer; for firmer results, omit the baking powder and substitute water for the seltzer. We add shredded chicken, carrots, celery, and parsnips to the soup, but you can omit any or all of these for a simpler version. As they absorb broth, the balls will remain tender but start to sink; if you want them to float, cook them to the lower end of the time range and serve them promptly.
Instructions
- Remove neck, giblets, and liver from 1 (4-pound) whole chicken. Reserve neck and giblets and discard liver. Place chicken breast side down on cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut through bones on either side of backbone. Reserve backbone. Using sharp chef's knife, cut straight down through breastbone to make 2 halves. Working with 1 half at a time, separate leg quarter and wing from each breast.
- Transfer chicken parts, backbone, neck, and giblets to Dutch oven. Add 9 cups water; 1 small unpeeled onion, trimmed and halved; 3 coarsely chopped carrots; 1 coarsely chopped celery rib; and 2 teaspoons table salt and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain gentle simmer. Cook, skimming off any scum that rises to surface, until breasts register 160 to 165 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Transfer breasts to plate. Add 4 sprigs dill, ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, and 2 whole cloves to Dutch oven. Cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer (check broth occasionally and adjust heat as necessary to maintain gentle simmer). Transfer leg quarters to plate with breasts. Discard wings, backbone, neck, and giblets. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer. (You should have about 8 cups broth; if not, add enough water to yield 8 cups.) Clean Dutch oven. Shred chicken, discarding bones. (Cooled broth can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 3 months. Shredded chicken can be refrigerated for 3 days.)
- Whisk 3 large eggs and 3 tablespoons schmaltz together in medium bowl. Stir in ½ cup seltzer. Using spatula or wooden spoon, stir in 1 cup (4 ounces) matzo meal; ½ teaspoon table salt; and ½ teaspoon baking powder, if using. Cover and chill in refrigerator until mixture is very firm, about 45 minutes.
- Lightly grease large plate. Divide mixture into 14 portions (about 1 heaping tablespoon each) and place on prepared plate. With your wet hands, roll portions into smooth balls.
- Bring 2 quarts water and ½ teaspoon table salt to simmer in large saucepan. When water comes to simmer, reduce heat to low. Add matzo balls (water may bubble vigorously), cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- While matzo balls cook, add broth and ½ cup chopped carrot, ½ cup chopped parsnip, and ½ cup chopped celery, if using, to cleaned Dutch oven and bring to simmer over high heat. Adjust heat to maintain very gentle simmer (broth should maintain temperature between 175 and 190 degrees). Using slotted spoon, transfer matzo balls from water to broth. Cover and continue to cook until matzo balls are tender in center, 20 to 30 minutes for floaters or 45 minutes for sinkers.
- Add 2 cups shredded chicken, if using, and cook until warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Portion soup into bowls and garnish each serving with chopped dill. Serve.
for the broth
for the matzo balls
for the soup
Time
3 hours, plus 45 minutes chillingYield
Serves 6Ingredients
Broth
Matzo Balls
Soup
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Broth
Matzo Balls
Soup
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Broth
Matzo Balls
Soup
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Our version of this iconic Jewish chicken and dumpling soup started with making a savory broth. To minimize the amount of reduction necessary to concentrate its flavors, we broke a chicken down into parts that packed tightly together in a pot and required minimal water to cover them. This also allowed us to remove the white meat as soon as it cooked through, keeping it moist and tender, while leaving the collagen-rich dark portions, wings, and backbone to simmer until that meat was tender and the liquid was flavorful and full-bodied. Chopped carrot, celery, and onion (skin-on, so its natural pigments deepened the color of the broth) added sweet, round depth, while seasoning the broth with black peppercorns, a few sprigs of fresh dill, and a couple cloves contributed warmth and freshness. To make light, tender matzo balls that float, we minimized the amount of egg (its protein builds structure), weighed the matzo meal, added plenty of schmaltz, and incorporated baking powder and seltzer (in place of water), both of which add air pockets to the dough. A hybrid poaching approach—first in salted water, then in the broth—ensured that the balls didn't cloud the soup but soaked up plenty of chicken-y flavor. The key was to do it gently so that they didn't break apart, and to fish them out of the liquid as soon as they were done so that they didn't absorb so much liquid that they became dense and sank. Optional shredded chicken and more chopped vegetables made the soup hearty enough to stand as a meal.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
You can purchase schmaltz or make your own; you can also replace schmaltz with vegetable oil, but the matzo balls won't be as flavorful. If making schmaltz, remove and reserve the skin and fat from the breast and leg quarters, along with any fat exposed when the bird is broken down. Matzo meal varies in coarseness; weigh it for the most tender results. For the lightest texture, add baking powder (a kosher brand, if desired) and seltzer; for firmer results, omit the baking powder and substitute water for the seltzer. We add shredded chicken, carrots, celery, and parsnips to the soup, but you can omit any or all of these for a simpler version. As they absorb broth, the balls will remain tender but start to sink; if you want them to float, cook them to the lower end of the time range and serve them promptly.
Instructions
- Remove neck, giblets, and liver from 1 (4-pound) whole chicken. Reserve neck and giblets and discard liver. Place chicken breast side down on cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut through bones on either side of backbone. Reserve backbone. Using sharp chef's knife, cut straight down through breastbone to make 2 halves. Working with 1 half at a time, separate leg quarter and wing from each breast.
- Transfer chicken parts, backbone, neck, and giblets to Dutch oven. Add 9 cups water; 1 small unpeeled onion, trimmed and halved; 3 coarsely chopped carrots; 1 coarsely chopped celery rib; and 2 teaspoons table salt and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain gentle simmer. Cook, skimming off any scum that rises to surface, until breasts register 160 to 165 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Transfer breasts to plate. Add 4 sprigs dill, ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, and 2 whole cloves to Dutch oven. Cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer (check broth occasionally and adjust heat as necessary to maintain gentle simmer). Transfer leg quarters to plate with breasts. Discard wings, backbone, neck, and giblets. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer. (You should have about 8 cups broth; if not, add enough water to yield 8 cups.) Clean Dutch oven. Shred chicken, discarding bones. (Cooled broth can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 3 months. Shredded chicken can be refrigerated for 3 days.)
- Whisk 3 large eggs and 3 tablespoons schmaltz together in medium bowl. Stir in ½ cup seltzer. Using spatula or wooden spoon, stir in 1 cup (4 ounces) matzo meal; ½ teaspoon table salt; and ½ teaspoon baking powder, if using. Cover and chill in refrigerator until mixture is very firm, about 45 minutes.
- Lightly grease large plate. Divide mixture into 14 portions (about 1 heaping tablespoon each) and place on prepared plate. With your wet hands, roll portions into smooth balls.
- Bring 2 quarts water and ½ teaspoon table salt to simmer in large saucepan. When water comes to simmer, reduce heat to low. Add matzo balls (water may bubble vigorously), cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- While matzo balls cook, add broth and ½ cup chopped carrot, ½ cup chopped parsnip, and ½ cup chopped celery, if using, to cleaned Dutch oven and bring to simmer over high heat. Adjust heat to maintain very gentle simmer (broth should maintain temperature between 175 and 190 degrees). Using slotted spoon, transfer matzo balls from water to broth. Cover and continue to cook until matzo balls are tender in center, 20 to 30 minutes for floaters or 45 minutes for sinkers.
- Add 2 cups shredded chicken, if using, and cook until warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Portion soup into bowls and garnish each serving with chopped dill. Serve.
for the broth
for the matzo balls
for the soup
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