Matzah balls are a traditional Jewish food typically served in chicken soup, known for their light and fluffy texture. They are typically made with a combination of matzah meal, eggs, and water or broth, and are seasoned with salt, pepper, and sometimes other herbs and spices. Matzah balls can be cooked in a variety of ways, including boiling, baking, or frying, and are often served with a variety of toppings, such as chopped parsley, dill, or even a drizzle of hot schmaltz.
This article includes three different recipes for matzah balls:
- Classic Matzah Balls: These matzah balls are made with a combination of matzah meal, eggs, water, and seasonings. They are boiled in chicken soup until they are cooked through and fluffy.
- Baked Matzah Balls: For those who prefer a slightly crispier matzah ball, this recipe bakes the matzah balls in the oven until they are golden brown.
- Fried Matzah Balls: If you're looking for a crispy and flavorful matzah ball, this recipe fries the matzah balls in hot oil until they are golden brown.
No matter which recipe you choose, you're sure to enjoy these delicious and versatile matzah balls.
BEST MATZAH BALLS
These can be tricky to get the right consistency. After years of experimenting with the basic recipe, I found these to come out soft but not falling apart. If you like firm/hard-middle matzah balls, either reduce the seltzer or add 1/4 cup matzah meal.
Provided by Weekend Cook
Categories Side Dish
Time 1h15m
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Whisk eggs and olive oil in a bowl until combined; stir both amounts of club soda and salt into egg mixture. Mix matzo meal into wet ingredients to form a workable dough; if mixture is too wet, stir in 1/4 cup more matzo meal. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Wet your hands and form matzo ball dough into walnut-size balls. Gently place matzo balls into boiling water. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer matzo balls until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 105.8 calories, Carbohydrate 10.2 g, Cholesterol 46.5 mg, Fat 6.4 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 2.7 g, SaturatedFat 1.1 g, Sodium 98.5 mg, Sugar 0.3 g
THE BEST MATZO BALL SOUP RECIPE
We've tested every trick in the book to figure out exactly how to make the perfect matzo balls-whatever that means to you.
Provided by Daniel Gritzer
Categories Lunch Dinner Entree Side Dish Snack Appetizer Appetizers and Hors d'Oeuvres Soups and Stews
Time 1h45m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Meanwhile, divide stock evenly between two pots, season both with salt, and bring to a simmer. Add diced carrots and celery and dill sprigs to one pot and simmer until just tender; discard dill sprigs and keep warm.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 683 kcal, Carbohydrate 75 g, Cholesterol 208 mg, Fiber 2 g, Protein 30 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, Sodium 1426 mg, Sugar 12 g, Fat 28 g, ServingSize Serves 4, UnsaturatedFat 0 g
MATZO BALLS
Provided by Ina Garten
Time 55m
Yield 18 to 20 matzo balls
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Whisk together the egg yolks, chicken stock, chicken fat, parsley, and salt. Stir in the matzo meal. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they are stiff. Whisk them into the matzo mixture until it is smooth. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or until the mixture is thick.
- Form balls the size of golf balls by shaping them with 2 spoons, rolling them with your hands, or scooping them with a small ice cream scoop. Drop them into simmering chicken stock and cook for 30 minutes, or until fully cooked and puffed, turning once. Remove and serve hot in chicken soup.
MATZO BALL SOUP WITH CELERY AND DILL
Greater than the sum of its parts, matzo ball soup is a wonderful combination of three very simple things: chicken broth (golden brown, deeply savory, lightly seasoned), matzo balls (tender, eggy, schmaltzy dumplings made with ground matzo) and garnish (celery and fresh dill, lots of it). The key to keeping the chicken juicy, tender and something you're excited to eat is by gently simmering the stock (which will also keep the broth crystal clear rather than muddied). You can pick the meat from the chicken and add it back to the soup if you like, or save for next-day chicken salad. For the matzo balls, matzo meal is preferred for its fine texture, but know that you can also grind your own from matzo boards in a food processor.
Provided by Alison Roman
Categories soups and stews, main course
Time 3h
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Prepare the broth: Combine chicken, onions, garlic, celery and carrots in a large pot. Cover with 12 cups water and season with salt. (If your pot can't handle all that water, fill the pot with as much as you can, and add remaining water as it reduces.)
- Bring to a strong simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low so that the broth is gently simmering.
- Continue to gently simmer, uncovered, until the broth is extremely flavorful and well seasoned, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Using tongs, remove breasts, thighs and legs from the pot (let any skin and bones fall into the pot), leaving everything else behind.
- Pick the meat from the chicken, discarding any fat, skin, bones, cartilage or any drier pieces of meat that you wouldn't find delicious to eat. Set meat aside to either put back into your soup, or to use in another dish (chicken salad, etc).
- Strain broth (you should have about 10 cups) and return to the pot. Season with salt and pepper (it should be as seasoned and delicious as you'd want it to be when serving). Keep warm, if using same day, or let cool and refrigerate overnight.
- As broth sits, prepare the matzo balls: Combine matzo meal, chives and 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt in a medium bowl. Using a fork, incorporate eggs until well blended. Add chicken fat, followed by club soda, mixing until no lumps remain. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until mixture is firm and fully hydrated, at least 2 hours (and up to 24 hours).
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Using your hands, roll matzo ball mixture into balls slightly smaller than the size of a ping pong ball (about 1 1/4-inch in diameter), placing them on a plate or parchment lined baking sheet until all the mixture is rolled (you should have about 24 matzo balls).
- Add matzo balls to the boiling water and cook until floating, puffed and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. (You can always sacrifice one, plucking it from the broth and cutting it in half to check that it's cooked through. The texture should be uniform in color and texture, and the balls shouldn't be dense or undercooked in the center.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the matzo balls to the chicken broth.
- Add celery (and some of the picked chicken meat, if you desire) and season again with salt before ladling into bowls, topping with dill, celery leaves and a crack of freshly ground pepper.
KOSHER PERFECT MATZO BALLS
OK, OK, I know; your bubbie made the perfect matzo balls. But they are finicky little rascals that are made a 1000 different ways and everyones bubbies always made them best. What I want to share here is the simplest, no nonsence methode of the creation of soft and/or firm matzo balls; for just like white and dark meat people, there are soft and firm matzo ball people.
Provided by Yosef Vernon
Categories Clear Soup
Time 50m
Yield 18-24 Matzo Balls
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Follow these instructions carefully.
- Measure and mix dry ingredients into a bowl.
- Individually break the eggs into a clear glass, discarding any with blood spots, and then pour into a second bowl.
- Add oil or schmaltz (and water or broth for firm matzo balls) to the eggs and stir gently with a fork until the yolks are broken and the oil just mixed.
- Pour egg mixture into the dry mixture and gently mix with the fork.
- DO NOT OVER MIX.
- Treat it like a muffin mixture; if you over mix they will be tough.
- Place in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil on the stove.
- After matzo ball mix has set, gently remove teaspoon fulls of the batter and roll into 1-2" balls and drop into the water.
- When all the balls are in the water leave it to boil until all the balls float to the top, then lower the temperature to a rolling simmer for 40 minutes and your matzo balls will be ready.
- DO NOT STIR AT ANY TIME.
- The matzo balls may be removed from the water with a slotted spoon and served in soup, with a stew, as a side dish with gravy or placed on a cookie sheet and frozen covered for a later use.
FLUFFY MATZAH BALLS
Steps:
- 1. Mix the eggs well with a fork. Add the chicken fat or oil, soda water or chicken broth, matzah meal, and salt and pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
- 2. Dip your hands in cold water and make about 12 balls slightly smaller than Ping-Pong balls.
- 3. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add salt and place the matzah balls in the water. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes until soft.
- Tip: I often make chicken soup and matzah balls ahead. After cooking the matzah balls I just place them in the warm soup, which I then freeze. The liquid keeps them fluffy. I defrost the soup, reheat, and serve. If you like them more al dente, use large eggs and cook a shorter time.
JOAN NATHAN'S MATZO BALL SOUP
For children (and arguably most adults), the most welcome Passover dish is chicken soup with matzo balls. My matzo balls, neither heavy as lead nor light as a feather, are al dente, infused with fresh ginger and nutmeg. I like to freeze them, and the soup, in advance.
Provided by Joan Nathan
Categories appetizer
Time 4h15m
Yield About 15 matzo balls
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, schmaltz, stock, matzo meal, nutmeg, ginger and parsley. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Gently mix with a whisk or spoon. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours or overnight.
- To shape and cook the matzo balls, fill a wide, deep pan with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. With wet hands, take some of the mix and mold it into the size and shape of a Ping-Pong ball. Gently drop it into the boiling water, repeating until all the mix is used.
- Cover the pan, reduce heat to a lively simmer and cook matzo balls about 30 to 40 minutes for al dente, longer for light. If desired, the cooked matzo balls can be transferred to chicken or vegetable soup and served immediately. Alternatively, they may be placed on a baking sheet and frozen, then transferred to a freezer bag and kept frozen until a few hours before serving; reheat in chicken or vegetable soup or broth.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 67, UnsaturatedFat 1 gram, Carbohydrate 4 grams, Fat 5 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 60 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams, TransFat 0 grams
Tips:
- Use the right matzo meal. Coarse matzo meal will give you a lighter matzo ball, while fine matzo meal will give you a denser matzo ball.
- Don't overmix the batter. Overmixing will make the matzo balls tough. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- Let the batter rest. Letting the batter rest for at least 30 minutes will allow the matzo meal to absorb the liquid and make the matzo balls more tender.
- Poach the matzo balls in a large pot of salted water. The water should be at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil.
- Don't overcrowd the pot. The matzo balls should have enough room to move around and cook evenly.
- Cook the matzo balls until they are cooked through. The matzo balls should be firm and springy to the touch.
Conclusion:
Matzo balls are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed in many different ways. They are a classic addition to chicken soup, but they can also be served as a side dish or appetizer. Whether you are looking for a traditional recipe or something more modern, there is a matzo ball recipe out there for everyone. With a little practice, you'll be able to make perfect matzo balls every time.
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