Monday, March 9, 2015

Matzo Ball Soup (Jewish Penicillin)



Ingredients
1 Whole Chicken
3 Medium Onions - Diced
3 Carrots - Diced
3 Sticks of Celery - Chopped
4 Cloves of Garlic - Peeled and Chopped
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 Bag Jewish Fine Egg Noodles
1/2 Bunch Parsley - Chopped
4 tbsp Fresh Dill - Chopped

For The Matzo Balls:
4 large eggs
4 tablespoons chicken fat
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Box Matzo Meal

In a large pot cover chicken with cold water to come about 2 " above the chicken. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim the froth off the top of the chicken.

Add the chopped veg, garlic cloves, and thyme sprigs, and season with a good pinch of salt. Bring everything back to the boil, then turn the heat down and leave it to simmer for 1 hour. Carry on skimming the broth, reserving 4 tablespoons of this fat for your matzo balls.

To make your matzo balls, beat the eggs in a large bowl and add your cooled chicken fat and the salt and pepper. Beat again, then slowly stir in your matzo meal until well blended. Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes, then wet your hands with cold water and roll the dough using a 1" scoop.  They will double in size when cooked.

When the soup has had its hour and a half, use tongs to carefully transfer the chicken to a roasting pan. Leave to cool, uncovered, for a few minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and strain it through your biggest sieve or colander. Pull out the decent-looking bits of veg and put these back into the soup, getting rid of anything else. Put the pan back on a medium heat and bring back to the boil, then add your matzo balls. Put a lid on the pan, turn the heat down a bit and simmer for 20 minutes, until the balls are light and puffy. Halfway through the 20 minutes, add your noodles or spaghetti to the pan and cook gently for the final 10 minutes.

When your chicken has cooled enough to handle, shred the meat off the bone. Pick the leaves from your parsley and roughly chop them with the dill. Add all your shredded chicken meat to the soup, along with the chopped herbs, and warm through for 3 minutes. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.   Enjoy.

Original recipe:  http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/jewish-penicillin//?utm_source=social&utm_medium=RecipeOftheDay&utm_term=2015#rr8GQaqkICEVYBMC.97