Matzah Ball Soup (Gertrude's recipe)

Ingredients

For around 50 light matzah balls

Premade Chicken Soup (can be prepared the day before)

Premade pot of chicken soup (preferably made with 1 stewing chicken). For a richer soup, cover the chicken with canned chicken broth. Suggested vegetables and spices to cook with chicken: onion, carrots, celery with leaves, parsley, parsnips, salt, pepper, bay leaf (dill is also good). Strain the soup and store in container big enough to hold both the soup and the matzah balls.

Use the chicken to make chicken salad and discard the soup vegetables.


6 tbsp chicken fat from chicken soup
4 eggs, separated
1 cup hot chicken soup
¾ cup matzah meal
½ tsp salt
Finely chopped parsley

Notes:
-Best made at least the day before
-To save clean up, beat the egg whites first, set aside, and then proceed with the recipe
-Can use canned chicken soup to stretch the quantities. For our Seder, there were more balls than available soup!

Directions

Separate the eggs. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry (with mixer high speed). Set aside.

Beat yolks and chicken fat (with mixer medium speed) until thick and well blended. Pour the hot 1 cup hot soup over the egg mixture and continue beating well. By hand, fold in matzah meal mixed with salt and then fold in beaten egg whites. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Wet hands with cold water and shape matzah ball mix into small balls, no bigger than a rounded teaspoon. (The balls will expand a lot when they cook). As your hands get sticky, put them back in the cold water. Line balls up on waxed paper so you can put them in at around the same time. Drop gently, one at a time, into 2 quarts of boiling salted water. Reduce heat, cover, and cook gently for 20-25 minutes. Scoop balls out of the water with a wooden slotted spoon. The matzah balls are very tender at this point and using a metal implement may damage them. Drop matzah balls into soup and let them sit overnight at least.

When the matzah ball soup is ready to serve, check for salt, and add a little bit of fresh lemon juice a few drops at a time (not enough to taste, just enough to add a little sparkle and balance the salt. Serve with a sprig of parsley.