Chicken Kneidlach Chicken Matzo Balls Recipes

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients, except the matzo balls, in a large stockpot, cover abundantly with water, and bring to a boil. Skim to remove all the gray scum that will float to the surface, then let cook at a simmer for about 3 hours. Just keep tasting: when the broth tastes golden and chickeny, it's ready. Remove the chicken and, if you like, leave the soup to get cold to you can remove any fat that collects on the surface. That way you can accrue some schmaltz, too.
• Reheat the stock, and serve it as a plain soup, or add a few carrot sticks - from about 2 carrots, say - and cook in the soup, adding some torn-up pieces of chicken to warm through at the end. I like to add freshly chopped parsley. (You can also cook the Matzo Balls in the soup as well while it's heating up again.)
• Whisk the egg in a large-ish bowl, then whisk in the melted schmaltz (or whatever). Carry on whisking as you add the water or soup stock, the matzo meal and salt and pepper, and mix together into a rough paste; if it's too stiff to feel that it might be malleable later, add a little more water. Put in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour (or leave overnight if you wish) then dip out small lumps of paste and roll them into walnut-sized balls between the palms of your hands. Cook the dumplings in boiling, salted water and simmer for about 40 minutes (you can just cook them directly in the soup, but I'll do anything to preserve its unstarchy clearness). They are cooked when they rise to the surface. Add to the soup, and ladle out generously into waiting bowls.

Steps:

• Combine the ground chicken, egg whites, egg yolks, matzo meal, cold water and sugar in a large bowl.
• The best way to get it all mixed up is to use your (clean) hands.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Chill, covered, for 15 minutes.
• Fill a large pot with water (I use a 9 quart pot with about 8 quarts of water in it to cook all the kneidlach at once).
• Bring the water to a rolling boil.
• If you like, you can toss a bouillon cube into the pot for flavoring, or add any spices you might like.
• I usually toss in some paprika and salt.
• Remove the bowl from the fridge.
• Wet your hands with water.
• Form the knedilach mixture into 36 balls about 1 1/2 inch in diameter.
• Always make sure your hands are wet so the dough doesn't stick.
• Drop the kneidlach into the boiling water.
• Half cover the pot and turn the flame down so the kneidlach are simmering in the water.
• Let them simmer for about 45 minutes.
• Turn off the heat.
• With a slotted spoon, remove the kneidlach.
• They are now ready to be added to your soup.

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.