TRADITIONAL CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZO BALLS
This soup has a place of honour at the Jewish table, as it appears at Friday night dinners and at all the major Jewish holidays. Ruth promises that this soup will taste better if you make it with kosher chicken.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Chicken Soup
3 lb kosher chicken parts* 1.5 kg
3 stalks celery, halved crosswise 3
2 carrots (whole) 2
1 large onion, (whole) 1
half small leek, washed and trimmed half
1 tsp salt 5 mL
sprigs fresh parsley and dill
In stockpot, combine chicken parts, celery, carrots, onion, leek and salt; pour in enough water to cover. Cover with lid and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, skimming foam from surface, for about 1 hour or until chicken is very tender. Add parsley and dill sprigs; return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Strain into large bowl. Discard chicken parts, vegetables and herbs. Or, if desired, add chicken to soup or reserve for another use.**Cover and refrigerate soup overnight. Remove congealed fat from surface. Heat soup to serve. (Ruth likes the first mouthful to be scalding.) Freezes well.
* Ruth adds backs and necks, trimmed and cut up.
** Ruth uses the ground cooked chicken meat to make kreplach (filled noodle dumplings
or Jewish wontons, as she calls them).
MATZO BALLS (Knaidlach)
Yield: About 12 balls
1 cup Matzo meal 250 mL
4 eggs, beaten 4
1/2 cup water 125 mL
1/3 cup canola oil 75 mL
1/2 tsp salt 1 mL
pinch pepper pinch
In bowl, mix together matzo meal, eggs, water, oil, salt and pepper just until combined and no lumps remain (do not beat). Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.
With hands (hands should be wet or have a bit of oil on them to prevent sticking), form into small balls about the size of walnuts. Place in large saucepan of salted water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until matzo balls rise to surface and are cooked through. Add to chicken soup just before serving.
LAVASH
1-3/4 cups All-purpose flour
1/2 cup Cornmeal
1/2 cup Soft margarine
2 tbsp Granulated sugar
2 tbsp Vinegar
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Water
1 tsp Each onion powder and garlic powder
1 tsp Each dill seed, sesame seeds and poppy seeds
In bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, margarine, sugar, vinegar, baking soda and salt. Pour in water and mix with hands until combined. Mix in onion and garlic powders and dill, sesame and poppy seeds. Let rest for 20 minutes.
Divide dough into 4 balls. On floured surface, roll out 1 ball into very thin rectangle. Roll partially onto rolling pin, lift and unroll onto floured baking sheet. With pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut into 20 squares. Bake in 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden. Repeat with remaining dough.
PIEROGIES
Comments
