Matzoh Balls
A matzoh ball is a dumpling made of crushed matzoh (matzoh meal). They can be made firm and heavy, with a slightly chewy texture, or very soft, with a melt-in-your-mouth lightness. My matzoh balls are fairly traditional, combining matzoh meal with some type of fat (preferably chicken fat) for richness and flavor, seltzer, and eggs to bind all the ingredients into a loose batter that thickens when chilled and produces light, fluffy balls that retain their shape when boiled. The onion and parsley in mine are not traditional, but I like mine that way. I prefer my soup very simple--just wonderfully rich homemade stock along with perfectly cooked soft matzoh balls that dissolve in your mouth. Truly...a soup for the soul...
A matzoh ball is a dumpling made of crushed matzoh (matzoh meal). They can be made firm and heavy, with a slightly chewy texture, or very soft, with a melt-in-your-mouth lightness. My matzoh balls are fairly traditional, combining matzoh meal with some type of fat (preferably chicken fat) for richness and flavor, seltzer, and eggs to bind all the ingredients into a loose batter that thickens when chilled and produces light, fluffy balls that retain their shape when boiled. The onion and parsley in mine are not traditional, but I like mine that way. I prefer my soup very simple--just wonderfully rich homemade stock along with perfectly cooked soft matzoh balls that dissolve in your mouth. Truly...a soup for the soul...
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 jumbo or extra-large eggs
- 5 tablespoons schmaltz (*see note) melted then cooled (or clarified butter, or oil)
- 1/2 cup carbonated water (seltzer)
- 2 teaspoon onion grated (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper or to taste
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley minced (optional)
- 1 cup matzoh meal
- 6 cup homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pinch saffron crushed (optional)
- Carbohydrate 15.5605426822917 g
- Cholesterol 267.075 mg
- Fat 7.49667236979167 g
- Fiber 0.485763802374403 g
- Protein 11.5616701302083 g
- Saturated Fat 2.259786296875 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Matzoh Ball (175g)
- Sodium 218.207822916667 mg
- Sugar 15.0747788799173 g
- Trans Fat 1.18040761979167 g
- Calories 178 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs.
- Stir in the carbonated water, onion, salt pepper, parsley and melted chicken fat.
- While stirring, add the matzoh meal a small amount at a time (if you prefer a heavier matzoh ball, add up to 1/4 cup additional matzoh meal, to taste).
- The finished product should be a loose batter, similar in consistency to pancake batter.
- Cover and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Oil or wet your hands and form small, loose balls of about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the batter.
- (Do not to press too hard, the matzo balls should be light but should also retain their shape.)
- Gently drop matzoh balls into boiling water, reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer until balls are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on size.
- (They are done when they float and look bloated.)
- Remove matzoh balls with a slotted spoon, and reserve.
- (The recipe can be made ahead to this point; let stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours or cover and chill up to 1 day.)
- Bring broth and a pinch of crushed saffron to a gentel simmer in a deep pot.
- Add matzo balls, simmer until warmed through, about 10 minutes.
- Ladle stock, plus 2 to 3 matzoh balls into individual bowls and serve.
Refrigerating the batter for several hours is the critical window that dictates the final density of each dumpling; skipping this step leaves the matzoh meal unable to fully hydrate, resulting in a dense core instead of a tender structure. Fat molecules from the schmaltz coat the starch granules, while carbonated water introduces microscopic gas pockets that expand under thermal energy. Jumbo eggs supply both lecithin for emulsification and albumin to trap those expanding gases during the simmer. Working with chilled batter requires wet palms to prevent sticking, and shaping must remain gentle to preserve the interior aeration.
Simmering these dumplings in plain salted water rather than the final broth keeps the cooking liquor clear and prevents the starches from muddying the flavor of the chicken stock. Boiling them for 30 to 40 minutes guarantees complete gelatinization of the meal, with floatation and a bloated visual appearance signaling absolute doneness. Transferring the finished spheres directly into warm broth after a brief resting period allows the exterior to absorb savory saline notes without dissolving.
Leftover dumplings stored in their broth for up to 24 hours undergo a continuous hydration process, absorbing additional liquid and softening further in texture. Reheating requires maintaining a gentle simmer to prevent the exterior membrane from rupturing under aggressive agitation. Broth clarity can diminish during extended storage due to escaped starches, making a quick strain advisable if presentation matters.
Freezing uncooked matzoh ball batter is not recommended because carbonation dissipates entirely over sub-zero storage periods, destroying the lift achieved by seltzer. Cooked spheres, however, hold up well when frozen submerged in stock for up to one month, provided they are thawed slowly in the refrigerator before reheating on the stovetop.
