Chef Michael Smith Homemade Chicken Soup With Matzo Balls Food

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.

CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• For the matzo balls: Combine the matzo meal, salt, onion powder and white pepper 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, about 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:

• For the chicken stock: Place the chicken bones, garlic, celery, carrots, onions, parsley, salt, peppercorns, cloves and bay leaves in a 10-quart or larger pressure cooker. Pour in about 16 cups water to just cover ingredients by 1 inch. Add more water if necessary but do not fill more than two-thirds of the pot. Cover and lock the lid. Bring to pressure according to manufacturer's instructions. (If the cooker has two levels of pressure, cook on the lowest.) Adjust the heat to maintain pressure, and cook for 45 minutes.
• Let the pressure subside by itself (natural method), or if in a rush, run cold water over the lid for a few minutes.
• Strain the liquid through a colander lined with layers of cheesecloth. Discard the solids.
• Cool uncovered and refrigerate overnight until the fat floats and solidifies. Remove the fat and save a small amount for matzo balls.
• Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days. Important to bring to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute before using. Freeze up to 6 months.
• For the matzo balls: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the seltzer, schmaltz, salt, pepper and eggs. Then in a separate bowl, add the baking soda to the matzo meal and mix together. Next, add the matzo meal mixture into the egg mixture while stirring to a loose consistency. It will look watery, like a loose porridge. If it becomes too thick, either don't add the full amount of matzo meal or add a bit more seltzer. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Fill a large pot with water and salt and bring to a simmer. With wet hands, roll out balls and gently drop to the water. Simmer until tender, light and fluffy in the center, 45 to 60 minutes. (To test centers, insert a toothpick, which should slide easily all the way through.) Allow to cool in the water undisturbed. Refrigerate in the cooking liquid or transfer to chicken soup.
• Serve with assorted garnishes.

CHEF MICHAEL SMITH HOMEMADE CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• Roast chicken carcass in 400 degree oven until golden brown. Place into a stockpot along with the carrots, celery, onions, parsley and thyme. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil and then let simmer for 1 hour. Strain.
• For the matzo balls:.
• Whisk together eggs, oil, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir in matzo meal and let rest for 20 minutes. Form into balls with two spoons.
• For the soup base:.
• Bring chicken broth to a simmer and add matzo balls. Cook for 10 minutes: they are done when they float to the top. Add ginger, spinach, onions, and bean sprouts and stir to wilt, just prior to serving.

CHICKEN MATZO BALL SOUP

Steps:

• Wipe the chicken with kitchen paper and put in a large saucepan with the giblets. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Skim away any scum with a large spoon or ladle every few mins for about 30 mins until no more comes to the surface. Crumble in the stock cubes and add the bay leaf, peppercorns and vegetables.
• Bring to the boil again, then reduce the heat to very low. Cover and simmer gently for 3-3 1 /2 hrs.
• Leave the soup to cool a little, then transfer to the fridge overnight.
• Once chilled, the fat from the soup will rise to the top. Save 11 /2 tbsp for the matzo balls and set aside, then use a large spoon to remove as much as you can. Remove the chicken, shred all the meat, then add it back to the pan. Put the soup back on the heat and skim away any remaining fat while you bring it to the boil.
• Meanwhile, make the matzo balls by combining the fat, egg, matzo meal and 1/2 tbsp warm water. Stir into a paste, adding a little more water if needed, then chill for 10-15 mins. Roll into about 12 small balls. Dampen your hands if the mixture is too sticky.
• Drop the matzo balls into the soup for a few mins. Scatter with parsley and serve with challah bread, if you like.