Matzoh Ball Soup

To make the homemade matzoh meal, preheat an oven to 475°F (245°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and fine sea salt and then stir in the water. Knead for 3 to 4 minutes or until the dough is smooth. Divide into 10 evenly sized pieces and then roll each piece out as thinly as possible, dusting with additional flour as needed.

Place the dough on the prepared baking sheets so they’re not touching. Use a fork to prick each piece of dough over the entire surface. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, and then remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely on a wire rack. (If you need to use more than two baking sheets, just rotate each sheet in batches, rolling the dough and loading a baking sheet while one filled sheet is in the oven. Repeat as needed.)

When the matzoh is cooled, it should be dry and crisp. Blitz in a food processor until as fine as possible.

To make the matzoh ball soup, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and melted chicken fat. (Make sure the fat isn’t so hot that it cooks the eggs.) Whisk in the kosher salt and baking powder. Whisk in the homemade matzoh meal until completely smooth. Add the water and stir until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in one pot, add 1 1/2 quarts (1.4 l) of the chicken stock. Set the pot and the remaining stock aside. In a separate pot, add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pot. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is ripping hot, add the chicken thighs skin side down and sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until nicely browned. Remove the thighs from the pot, reduce the heat to medium and add the onion. Season to taste with kosher salt and then sauté for about 2 minutes or just before it begins to soften. Add the remaining 2 1/2 quarts (2.4 l) of stock. Lightly season both pots with kosher salt and a touch of pepper.

Bring the pot with the onion to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to low
for a gentle simmer. Add the chicken thighs, sage, thyme and bay leaf to the simmering veggie-stock mixture.

When the matzoh ball dough is ready to shape, bring the other pot to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to low for a gentle simmer. Using wet hands—and rewetting them as needed—form the dough into 1-inch (2.5-cm) balls. Place them in the simmering pot of stock. Cover both pots and simmer for 1 hour.

When there’s 15 minutes left in the simmering time, add the carrots and celery to the pot with the chicken and onion. Continue cooking until the simmering time is complete.

Remove the chicken thighs and herbs from the stock with the veggies. Discard the herbs. Place the chicken thighs on a cutting board and use two forks to shred the chicken into small pieces. Return it to the pot and discard the bones and skin.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer 3 matzoh balls to each serving bowl. Ladle in the broth along with the veggies and chicken. Garnish with dill and a touch of pepper. Makes 3 1/2 quarts (3.3 l).

Adapted from Texture Over Taste by Joshua Weissman (DK 2023)