Comment:
I first discovered this recipe in Celebration: The Book of Jewish
Festivals sent to me by my good friend Malcolm Taub of New York.
Malcolm thought I should familiarize myself with the foods and traditions
of cultures other than those of Cajun and Creole origin...and you
know, I think he was right.
Ingredients for Chicken Soup:
1 (4–5 pound) chicken
1 gallon cold water
3 carrots, sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced
2 onions, quartered
2 cloves garlic, sliced
10 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
6 sprigs fresh dill
Method:
Rinse chicken under cold running water. Drain well. Cut into quarters
and place in a stockpot. Add all ingredients except salt, pepper
and dill. Simmer 2 hours, skimming surface occasionally to remove
impurities. Strain soup and cool. Remove chicken and set aside for
later use. Refrigerate stock until fat rises to top and can be separated
from liquid, preferably overnight. Reserve 3 tablespoons of chicken
fat for matzo balls. Once matzo balls are made, bring stock to a
simmer. Add matzo balls and cook 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings with
salt and pepper if necessary. To serve, ladle soup and 1 matzo ball
along with poached chicken meat into 6 bowls and garnish each with
a sprig of fresh dill. If you prefer not to serve the chicken in
soup, consider using it in a chicken salad.
Ingredients for Matzo Balls:
3 eggs, separated
3 tbsps chicken fat
½ tsp salt
3 tbsps hot water or chicken stock
¾ cup matzo meal
Method:
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk yolks until light and thick. Add
chicken fat along with salt and chicken soup. Blend well. In a separate
bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff, but not too dry. Gently fold
egg whites into egg yolk mixture. Once blended, fold in the matzo
meal with a rubber spatula. Refrigerate 1 hour or until batter is
stiff enough to form balls. Remove a portion of matzo mix and roll
into golf ball sized portions.
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