Soup: Matzoh Ball
One of the best things I discovered living in NYC was Matzoh Ball Soup. My favorite Matzoh Ball soup was at this diner on the Upper West Side named “Big Nicks.” Just thinking about that place makes me want to shed a tear…it had a 24 page menu! Almost like a storyline straight out of a Seinfeld episode, I seriously considered moving to their delivery area (they were open 24 hours a day) just so I could order from them whenever I wanted.
Now that I’m on the West Coast, I haven’t found a place that rivals Big Nicks or that even serves Matzoh Ball soup. I’m sure there’s a restaurant out there, I just haven’t found it yet. (Restaurant suggestions are always appreciated!)
Since it’s been a bit cold out here, I decided that it was the right time to make a huge pot of Matzoh Ball soup.
Since it’s a workday, I cheated and bought pre-made matzoh balls (they come in a glass jar). If you have the time, make them fresh!
Prep:
1 qt. of chicken stock
2 cups of water
4 boneless chicken thighs
1/2 a white onion
2 stalks of celery
3 carrots
Dash of Garlic Powder
I boiled the chicken in the chicken stock for about 20 minutes. During that time, I added the onions and celery. I also added a dash of garlic powder, salt and ground pepper to taste. I added the carrots towards the end of the cooktime because I prefer my carrots cooked, but still a little crunchy. After adding the carrots, I also added the pre-made matzoh balls and let cook for another 10 minutes.
Garnish with chopped dill and serve!
Filed under: Blogroll, Cooking, Dinner, Food, Recipes, boiled, carrots, chicken, easy, easy meal, soup
I love the Manischewitz mix matzoh balls, and they don’t take much longer than boiling the soup. Also, the soup is usually much better the second day!
The Manishewitz mix is really good…almost as good as home made and in some cases better. I have eaten some real sinkers in my day! I had an Aunt that made the greatest Matzo Balls…everyone thought so…and her secret was that mix!
But this recipe is beyond easy…if you keep a container of matzo meal in the freezer it will keep almost forever…
This is adapted from Claudia Roden’s book…”The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York”
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup matzo meal
1 teaspoon salt
Beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold in the lightly beaten yolks, as well as the matzo meal and salt until well amalgamated. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
In a pot of well-salted boiling water, roll dough into 3/4-inch (2-cm) balls and simmer in the water for 20 minutes…in a covered pot.
( you can also add a little bit of powdered ginger, finely chopped parsley or dill…even a teeny bit of cayenne pepper,
but those are not traditional additions…
L
I remember Big Nick’s from my time in NYC! They had great burgers, too…
This soup looks awesome - I’m going to have to give it a try.