Matzo Ball Recipe Needed Please

[kuan]

I need a "gold standard" recipe for Matzo Balls. Please include technique tips and emphasize key steps (what little) if possible.

I know I can count on you folks.

Thanks a bunch!

[shroomgirl]

Kuan, this is going to sound really lame.....I've cooked for orthodox Jews for years...when I use the box of matza meal their happiest....I'd love to see CC, Suzanne's and Mezz's recipes.

[kuan]

Originally Posted by shroomgirl

Kuan, this is going to sound really lame.....I've cooked for orthodox Jews for years...when I use the box of matza meal their happiest....I'd love to see CC, Suzanne's and Mezz's recipes.

Yeah what's up CC, Suzanne, Mezz? Anyone else?

[Mezzaluna]

My mom's recipe produces home-style, quenelle-shaped dumplings. Here are the directions:

Use one egg for every two diners.

Beat the eggs and add a pinch of salt per egg. Stir in matzo meal (NOT the mix) until the mixture is the consistency of cooked oatmeal. I have no idea how much, but I'll guess it could be 1/4-1/3 cup per egg. Cover bowl and chill at least 30 minutes.

Since matzo balls absorb broth like sponges, I usually cook them in light broth or water with some flavor from soup base, boullion cubes, etc. I toss in a little dill weed, too. You can cook them in the soup, but it'll reduce the amount you'll have left to serve!

With the cooking liquid at a low boil, use a soup spoon to scoop ovals of batter. Lower the spoon into the liquid and gently shake them off the spoon. Continue until you've used all the batter. Cover tightly and continue at a low simmer about 30 minutes. Don't peek! Serve in hot chicken soup. You can include noodles or cooked kasha in the soup bowl as well.

They do freeze well in liquid.

For pretty matzo balls I use the Manischewitz mix (which has you rolling balls of batter), but for me they are the equivalent of Twinkies, with my mom's version being madeleines.

Did that help? This is Jewish soul food which I learned to make in my mom's kitchen; there were no measuring implements.

[kuan]

That helped. You know we always poached them in plain water at the country club where I worked but poaching them your way sounds a lot better. Half the time at our place they would turn out like bricks, half the time light, half the the time so-so. It all depended on who made them.

[Mezzaluna]

Kuan, to be honest I like them heavy like cannonballs! But I've never been able to make them that way.

[phatch]

We went to the Jewish Festival a couple of weeks ago. Had a good turnout, lots of fun stalls. The food tent outside--temp was in the teens so it was good and cold. One of the food stalls was doing sandwiches and matzo ball soup. I've never been a dumpling fan, but my wife is. The soup was good, flavorful, fairly high meat content and good vegies, but the matzo part wasn't my favorite. Wife loved it. Kids were indifferent. The balls were certainly sinkers, but I don't know if I'd have called them cannonballs.

Had some awesome bagels too, falafel and latkes were all gone, as were most of the food booths. Should have gone earlier.

And in that miserable cold tent, a young string quartet played the whole time. Real troopers.

Phil

[MarkV]

Ya know, you guys are the coolest people on the planet. I love you all.

Just tonight, I swear to God this is true, just before I logged onto Cheftalk, I was contemplating doing a matzo ball soup article for my cooking column.

I did my doctorate degree at Yeshiva University in the Bronx. I'm not Jewish so I didn't grow up learning traditional Jewish recipes. One of the best things about my school was not the education, but the AWESOME matzo ball soup they served every day in the school cafeteria. I can't put into words how good it was and I ate it every time I had lunch there.

I've never been able to recreate matzo ball soup as good as their's. I suspect a lot hinges on a real good homemade chicken stock and extra egg yolks in the matzo mix, right?

Mark

[chrose]

Club soda baby!The magic ingredient! I'll elaborate later, Mark you closet jew you

[chrose]

2 tablespoons oil
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup Matzo Meal
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons soup stock or club soda

Mix the oil and eggs together. Mix and add Matzo Meal and salt. When well blended, add soup stock or soda. Cover mixing bowl and place in refrigerator for at least twenty minutes. Using a two or three quart size pot, bring salted water (or soup) to a brisk boil. Reduce flame and into the slightly bubbling liquid drop balls formed from above mixture. Cover pot and let cook 30-40 minutes. Have soup at room temperature, or warmer, and remove matzo balls from water to soup pot. When ready to serve, allow soup to simmer for about five minutes. Recipe makes eight balls.

[MarkV]

Chrose:

I'm printing your recipe as we speak.

I'm going to make it this weekend. Thank you.

Mark

[Mezzaluna]

Aw, that's for fancy schmancy matzo balls! Mine is for the true kneidlach.

MarkV, you're a member of the tribe once you've eaten your body weight in matzo balls. Sounds like you're in!

[MarkV]

Well I've gained weight since graduate school so I think I have to work on renewing my membership!



Mark

[Suzanne]

Sorry to come so late to this thread, but in any case I don't really have much to add. My mother always followed the recipe on the Manischewitz matzo meal box, and after many years of practice developed the perfect lead sinker. The first time I tried to make them (same recipe), they were so light they all blew apart and my soup looked like stracciatella. That was close to 30 years ago and I've rarely had the courage to try again.

I do agree with the seltzer use, though. And this is one of those dishes you have to practice, practice, practice!

[kuan]

So the generally preferred type is the "cannonball sinker" matzo ball?

Any preferred matzo meal?