For children (and arguably most adults), the most welcome Passover dish is chicken soup with matzo balls. My matzo balls, neither heavy as lead nor light as a feather, are al dente, infused with fresh ginger and nutmeg. I like to freeze them, and the soup, in advance.
BA’s Best Matzo Balls
The perfect matzo ball doesn’t require seltzer, baking powder, egg whites, or even a light touch, and this recipe proves it. We like chicken schmaltz for the flavor and texture it gives (make sure to use the good stuff) and added in some dill and black pepper for extra flavor. This recipe makes 16 balls total and was developed to go with BA’s Best Matzo Ball Soup.
Yield: Makes 16
Ingredients:
- 6 large eggs
- ½ cup melted schmaltz (chicken fat) or vegetable oil
- 6 Tbsp. chicken broth or water
- 3 Tbsp. chopped dill
- ¾ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 3 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. kosher salt
- 1½ cups matzo meal
Instruction:
- Whisk eggs in a medium bowl until no streaks remain. Add schmaltz, broth, dill, pepper, and 1½ tsp. salt and whisk vigorously to combine. Whisk in matzo meal until well combined. Chill at least 35 minutes or up to 2 hours (this is essential so that the matzo meal can hydrate).
- Bring 3 qt. water to a boil in a medium pot. Season with remaining 3 Tbsp. salt.
- Using dampened hands, roll matzo mixture into 16 balls about 1½” in diameter. It’s okay to really work them into a ball; they won’t get dense—trust us, we tried! Transfer to a small rimmed baking sheet or large plate.
- Carefully lower matzo balls into boiling water with a slotted spoon, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a low simmer. Cover pot and simmer over low heat, checking occasionally to make sure water isn’t boiling too rapidly, until balls are very puffed and light in color, 30–40 minutes. Don’t remove them sooner than this; they will be dense in the middle if undercooked. Turn off heat and let balls sit in cooking liquid until ready to serve.
- Do Ahead: Matzo balls can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container along with 2–3 Tbsp. cooking liquid and chill.
Floater Matzo Balls
How to make floater-style matzo balls for Passover from scratch using a few simple ingredients. Includes link to my favorite homemade chicken soup for matzo balls.
Prep: 15min
Total: 75min
Yield: 24
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 69 kcal, Carbohydrate 6 g, Protein 3 g, Fat 3 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 34 mg, Sodium 93 mg, Sugar 1 g, Trans Fat 0.003 g, Fiber 0.2 g, unSaturated Fat 2 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 1 cup matzo meal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder ((optional for Passover – see notes below for details))
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, (heaping)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, (heaping)
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, (heaping)
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper ((optional))
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup melted schmaltz, avocado oil, or safflower oil ((use schmaltz for best flavor))
- 1/4 cup unflavored seltzer ((only needed if not using the baking powder))
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or parsley ((optional))
- 5 quarts chicken stock
Instruction:
- Test for doneness by slicing a test matzo ball in half. It should look the same all the way through the center – tender, with no dark spot in the middle. If the middle is darker than the edges, it will need to simmer a little longer – it’s not quite cooked yet. Don’t be afraid to cook longer if it seems dense in the center, as it really won’t be light and fluffy unless it is fully saturated with broth and cooked all the way to the center.
- Serve two or three matzo balls per bowl with hot chicken soup ladled over them. If you don’t plan on serving the whole pot of soup at one sitting, make sure you remove the matzo balls from the broth and let them come to room temperature before storing them in a separate sealed container in the refrigerator. If left to sit in the broth, they’ll become mushy.
- Additional Notes: You can cook matzo balls directly in your soup broth (which will give them excellent flavor), but it will soak up a lot of the yummy stock, leaving you with very little broth for serving.
Best Matzo Ball Recipe | How to Make Matzo Balls | JOY of KOSHER with Jamie Geller
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