Matzo Ball Soup

The secret to Chef Scotty Schwartz’s soul-warming “Jewish penicillin” is a double chicken stock. Photo by Dennis Ho.

Serves 8

Ingredients

For soup

Double Chicken Stock recipe

Reserved chicken breast meat

2 cups (¼ -inch-diced) carrots

2 cups ¼ -inch-diced celery

1/8 cup minced fresh dill

1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced

Matzo Balls (recipe below)

Dill, for serving

For matzo balls

1/2 cup matzo meal

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons reserved chicken fat or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1½ quarts chicken stock

Instructions

To make soup: Put double dhicken stock in a large pot and heat, 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 two warm matzo balls and garnish with a couple snips of dill.

To make matzo balls: Mix matzo meal, eggs, chicken fat, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons chicken stock in a bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Bring the rest of the chicken stock to a brisk boil in a medium pot. Reduce the flame. Run your hands under water so they are thoroughly wet. Form matzo balls by dropping spoonfuls of matzo ball batter approximately 1-inch in diameter into the palm of your wet hands and rolling them loosely into balls. Drop them into the simmering stock 1 at a time. Cover the pot and cook for 30 to 40 minutes.