Matzo ball soup and homemade chicken stock

My stock pot is not too big, be sure never to peel the yellow onion, it gives the stock color


Duh... :-)


Ice cream scoop makes for a much easier process and ensures they are all the same size


They swell after they boil

Homemade Stock

Ingredients
(Depending on the size of your pot) 3 to 5, five pound chicken carcasses (yeah, no other way to say it) bones and a bit of meat, no skin.

2 large yellow onions, SKINS ON

4 large carrots

4 stalks of celery

1 cup of fresh parsley

3 bay leaves

6 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 tbsp kosher salt

1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

*Enough water to fill all of the pot

Instructions

Bring to a boil, remove lid, let simmer for FOUR hours. Stir occasionally, skim fat off the top every hour. Pour contents into a strainer. Remove any bits of the chicken meat and add back to the stock. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Matzo Ball Soup

Ingredients

Eggs (8)
Matzo Meal (2 cups)
Kosher Salt (1-2 tbs, to taste)
Canola Oil (2 tbs)
Dill (1 tsp)
Fresh chicken stock (4 tbs)

Honestly the instructions are on the box. I always quadruple the recipe to make 30 or so matzo balls. I also always add LESS salt than the recipe calls for. Add 1 tsp dill to the quadrupled recipe. Add some dill to the stock as well for better flavor. Instead of refrigerating, I put my matzo meal in the freezer for 30 minutes after I blend it. I always add 'stock' not water to the meal, per the instructions.

Now this is a matter of taste: I prefer my matzo balls a little on the firm side. I also boil mine in water, not stock. The matzo meal really absorbs the stock. If you make a lot of stock you can boil them in stock but remove them from the stock after they are boiled so they don't absorb all the stock. Since I prefer them a bit firm, I only boil mine for 15-20 minutes. Also to make life easier, instead of forming balls in my hands, (messy) I use a smallish ice-cream scooper. Not only is this easier and cleaner, but all the matzo balls will be the same size and cook at the same time. Also they will swell to at least three times their size so use a small melon-baller or small ice cream scoop.

Add matzo balls to a bowl and then top with stock and chicken pieces. Always store the balls alone, not in the stock. They actually do taste good reheated the next day. This is how I've been making them for years. GOOD LUCK!