Chicken Soup With Wild Mushrooms And Herbed Matzo Balls Recipes

CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• For the matzo balls: Combine the matzo meal, salt, pepper and onion powder in a large bowl. Combine the eggs and schmaltz in a second large bowl. Very gently mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil and season well with salt.
• Using wet hands, form the matzo mixture into 1 1/2-ounce balls. (Be gentle: overmixing can result in tough, hard dumplings.)
• Add the dumplings to the pot of water and cook until cooked all the way through, about 45 minutes. The dumplings can be held in warm water until ready to serve.
• For the soup: Sweat the onions, carrots and celery in a large soup pot with the schmaltz until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, 20 minutes. Skim any foam or bits of food that have risen to the top. Discard the bay leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Just before serving, add the noodles and chicken and heat through. Place 2 matzo balls in each bowl and add the soup.

CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic and seasonings in a 16- to 20-quart stockpot. Add 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Remove 2 of the chickens and allow to cool slightly. Remove the breast meat from both chickens and set aside. Return the remaining chicken and carcasses to the pot and continue simmering, uncovered, for 3 more hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander and chill. Remove the surface fat, then reheat the stock as follows, or pack in containers and freeze.
• To serve the soup, return the stock to the pot and reheat, adding the diced carrots, celery, dill and parsley. Shred the reserved chicken breast meat into large pieces and add to the stock. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes to cook the vegetables and reheat the chicken. Season to taste and serve as is, or ladle each serving over 1 or 2 warm matzo balls.
• Whisk together the egg yolks, 1/2 cup 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.
• Bring a pot of chicken stock to a simmer (about 3 quarts). Form matzo 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 the simmering stock and cook for 30 minutes, or until fully cooked and puffed, turning once. Remove and serve hot in the chicken soup.

KOSHER CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• To make the soup on the stovetop, combine chicken, onions, celery, carrots, dill, bay leaf, and 3 quarts water in a large pot. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for at least five hours. Skim the surface of the soup occasionally to remove any foam that develops.
• Remove the chicken and vegetables from the broth; discard vegetables. Strain the broth, cool, and refrigerate overnight. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the chicken meat from the bones, and chop or shred the meat; cover and refrigerate.
• To make the soup in a pressure cooker, add chicken, onions, celery, carrots, dill, bay leaf, and water to the pressure cooker as directed in step 1, seal the pressure cooker, and bring it up to full pressure. Reduce the heat, maintaining full pressure, and cook for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to drop naturally. Remove chicken and vegetables from broth. Strain the broth; discard vegetables. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove chicken meat from bones as directed in step 2.
• Combine vegetable oil, eggs, basil, parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and black pepper in a bowl; mix well. Stir in the matzo meal, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Bring at least 3 quarts of water, or as needed, and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a large pot. Using wet hands, gently shape the matzo mixture into balls about 2 inches across and drop them in the boiling water. Simmer for 20 minutes.
• Skim the fat off the chilled chicken broth and place broth in a pot over medium heat. Add salt to taste and the reserved cooked chicken, if desired (see Cook's Note). Transfer the cooked matzo balls to the chicken soup and heat to serve.

CHICKEN SOUP WITH WILD MUSHROOMS AND HERBED MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• For Soup:
• Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onions and cook until brown, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Add 12 cups water, celery, parsley and bay leaves. Bring to boil, skimming surface. Reduce heat and simmer gently until reduced to 8 cups, about 5 hours. Strain into bowl. Cover and refrigerate until fat solidifies on top. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead.)
• Remove fat form soup and reserve fat for matzo balls.
• For Matzo Balls:
• Place shiitake mushrooms in small bowl. Pour 2 cups hot water over. Let soak until softened, about 30 minutes.
• Melt 1/3 cup chicken fat and cool. Combine melted chicken fat, 1/4 cup shiitake soaking liquid (reserve remainder), eggs, 2 tablespoons chives, 1 1/2 tablespoons tarragon, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl and beat to blend. Mix in matzo meal. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover mushrooms in soaking liquid and refrigerate.)
• Measure 3 1/2 quarts water into large pot. Salt generously and bring to boil. With dampened hands, form cold matzo meal mixture into 1-inch balls and add to boiling water. Cover and boil until matzo balls are cooked through and tender, about 40 minutes. (To test for doneness, remove 1 matzo ball and cut open.) Transfer matzo balls to plate, using slotted spoon. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate.)
• Drain mushrooms, reserving liquid. Thinly slice mushrooms, discarding stems. Combine remaining mushroom soaking liquid, mushrooms, chicken soup and 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon in heavy large saucepan and bring to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add matzo balls and simmer until heated through. ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chives and serve.