Carol Wolks Matzoh Balls Recipes

SLOW-COOKER MATZO BALL SOUP RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the soup: Add the chicken breasts, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, salt, pepper, chicken stock, water, bay leaf, and thyme to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
• Make the matzo balls: In a large bowl, combine the matzo meal, baking powder, salt, pepper, water, vegetable oil, and eggs. Mix well and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the matzo meal absorb the liquid.
• Form the matzo mixture into balls and set aside at room temperature or in the fridge until the soup is done.
• Remove the chicken breasts from the soup, shred with 2 forks, then return to the slow cooker.
• Add the matzo balls to the soup and cook for 30 minutes.
• Ladle the soup and matzo balls into bowls and garnish with fresh dill.
• Enjoy!

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.

WHOLE-WHEAT MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks, stock, oil, pepper and 2 teaspoons salt; mix well. Gradually add dill and 1 cup of matzo meal, stirring with a fork.
• Whisk egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gently fold into matzo batter. Cover and refrigerate until batter is well chilled, at least 1 hour.
• Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a gentle boil. Wet hands with cold water and shape some of batter into a walnut-size ball. Drop it into pot. If it starts to fall apart, add a little more matzo meal to remaining batter. If it holds its shape, roll remaining batter into balls and add to pot.
• Simmer matzo balls, covered, for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat soup until simmering. When matzo balls are ready, use a slotted spoon to transfer them from water to soup. Serve hot.

MATZO BALL SOUP WITH CELERY AND DILL

Steps:

• Prepare the broth: Combine chicken, onions, garlic, celery and carrots in a large pot. Cover with 12 cups water and season with salt. (If your pot can't handle all that water, fill the pot with as much as you can, and add remaining water as it reduces.)
• Bring to a strong simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low so that the broth is gently simmering.
• Continue to gently simmer, uncovered, until the broth is extremely flavorful and well seasoned, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Using tongs, remove breasts, thighs and legs from the pot (let any skin and bones fall into the pot), leaving everything else behind.
• Pick the meat from the chicken, discarding any fat, skin, bones, cartilage or any drier pieces of meat that you wouldn't find delicious to eat. Set meat aside to either put back into your soup, or to use in another dish (chicken salad, etc).
• Strain broth (you should have about 10 cups) and return to the pot. Season with salt and pepper (it should be as seasoned and delicious as you'd want it to be when serving). Keep warm, if using same day, or let cool and refrigerate overnight.
• As broth sits, prepare the matzo balls: Combine matzo meal, chives and 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt in a medium bowl. Using a fork, incorporate eggs until well blended. Add chicken fat, followed by club soda, mixing until no lumps remain. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until mixture is firm and fully hydrated, at least 2 hours (and up to 24 hours).
• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Using your hands, roll matzo ball mixture into balls slightly smaller than the size of a ping pong ball (about 1 1/4-inch in diameter), placing them on a plate or parchment lined baking sheet until all the mixture is rolled (you should have about 24 matzo balls).
• Add matzo balls to the boiling water and cook until floating, puffed and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. (You can always sacrifice one, plucking it from the broth and cutting it in half to check that it's cooked through. The texture should be uniform in color and texture, and the balls shouldn't be dense or undercooked in the center.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the matzo balls to the chicken broth.
• Add celery (and some of the picked chicken meat, if you desire) and season again with salt before ladling into bowls, topping with dill, celery leaves and a crack of freshly ground pepper.