Matzo Ball Soup
Recipe by Jack Goldstone
PART 1 — Homemade Chicken Stock
Ingredients
3 chicken carcasses
An additional generous amount of chicken feet will give your stock more collagen and nutrients
2 Celery ribs (with leaves)
2 carrots
2 onions
2 bay leaves
2 fresh whole stalks of rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon of dried)
Equal amount of fresh whole stalks of thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon of dried)
10 peppercorns
A generous amount of cold water (1-2 inches over the ingredients)
Directions
If you’re starting with uncooked bones, roast em for 5-10 minutes @400 before putting them in the pot. This brings out more flavor and depth of color
Place all ingredients in the soup pot. Cover with cold water and slowly bring to a boil; then reduce heat until mixture is just at a simmer. Simmer, uncovered for 3-4 hours, skimming foam as necessary.
Cover but leave lid partially ajar, and leave overnight, total cooking 13+ hours
Strain broth, discarding vegetables and seasonings. Allow stock to cool then portion into quart containers and refrigerate overnight
PART 2 — Matzo Ball Soup
Ingredients
2 quarts rich homemade chicken stock
2 bone-in skin-on chicken breast
3 stalks of celery
3 carrots
1 bunch of fresh dill
Matzo-ball mix (I use manischewitz)
2 eggs
Salt+pepper to taste
Directions
Next day, scrape 2 tablespoons of the rendered chicken fat (schmaltz) from the top of 1 or 2 of the refrigerated stock containers, set aside for the matzoballs
Preheat oven to 400, season the chicken breast liberally with salt and pepper and cook until done
Meanwhile cut carrots and celery into spoon friendly slices
Mix 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of schmaltz and a packet of the matzo-ball mix and whisk together, refrigerate mixture for 15 minutes
While the matzoball mix is resting bring a pot water to boil and shred cooked chicken breast into spoon friendly lil bits
Ball out matzoballs (usually 1 inch in diameter, they’ll expand a lil when you cook em so don’t make them too big) carefully plop the balls into the boiling water, cover and bring down to a simmer, let cook for 20 minutes
While matozo balls are cooking, heat up a soup pot large enough to hold your finished product on high heat. Add cold oil to the hot pot and then add sliced celery+carrots. Season generously with salt and pepper and stir occasionally for 2-3 till veggies are very fragrant and somewhat soft
Pour 2 quarts of chicken stock over the hot veggies and reduce heat to medium low, add shredded chicken and season to taste with salt and pepper, let cook together for 5 minutes or more
Place 2-3 matzoballs per bowl and ladle generous+loaded spoonfuls of the chicken soup overtop
Finish with finely chopped fresh dill and enjoy
