Chicken Soup & Matzah Balls

Chicken Soup & Matzah Balls (Kneidlach)

Ingredients for the soup

• 1 Chicken, cut into 6 pieces
• 1 Onion, cut into 4 pieces
• 150g Leeks, cut into 3cm slices
• 2 Carrots, cut into 2cm slices
• 100g Celery stalks
• 10 celery leaves
• 1 Celeriac (Celery Root )
• 1 Parsley Root
• Bunch of Parsley Leaves
• 4 Bay Leaves
• 5 Peppercorns / Allspice
• Salt and Pepper
• 2.5 – 3 litres of water

Ingredients for the Matzo Balls:

• 1 cup Fine Matzo Meal
• 1 cup Boiling Water
• 2 Eggs
• 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 litres Water

Method:

1.  Wash the chicken thoroughly, put the pieces in the pot of water, bring to the boil for 20 minutes and skim off the foam at the surface of the boiling water.
2. Add all the soup ingredients except the salt, cover the pot and bring it back to the boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes with a cover on the pot. Continue to skim the surface of the soup and remove extra fat with a ladle from time to time.
3. To prepare the matzo balls, mix the matzo meal with the boiling water, salt, pepper and oil. Allow the mixture to cool. Beat the eggs until foamy. Incorporate the eggs slowly and let the mixture rest for 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
4. Bring to the boil a pot of water or chicken stock.
5. Wet your hands with cold water or oil and form small balls of the matzo meal mixture, rolling them to the size of a walnut, and drop them into the boiling water or chicken stock.
6. Cook for at least 20 minutes – the matzo balls should double their size.
7. Uncover the soup, add the salt and check the flavor and seasoning. To concentrate the flavors, remove the cover and increase the heat so that the soup will reduce and the flavors become more concentrated.
8. Add the matzo balls into the soup before serving.

Recipe from Eric Attias, Executive Chef at The David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem