Friday Night Chicken Soup (with matzoh balls)

Ingredients:

• Soup:
• 1 large chicken (3 to 4 pounds) + 2-4 extra chicken legs
• water just to cover (use a 12 quart pot)
• salt
• peppercorns (about 1 tablespoon)
• ground pepper
• 1 medium onion, cut in half and peeled
• 3 carrots (peeled and trimmed
• 2 ribs celery
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and trimmed
• generous bunch of fresh parsley
• generous bunch of fresh dill
• pinch celery seed
• 1 small clove garlic, lightly smashed
• Matzoh Balls:
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup chicken soup or broth or water*
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup matzoh meal (available in kosher food sections of the supermarket)
• 1 teaspoon salt *If using broth, reduce salt 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

For soup, place everything but seasonings (dill, parsley, celery seed, garlic) in a large pot. Bring it all to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Skim as you simmer (for about 2 hours). Add the parsley, dill and other seasonings at this point.

Cool and chill overnight or for a few hours so that fat solidifies.

Next day: skim fat and estraneous bits, then strain. You may then replace choice pieces of chicken/vegetables.

as soup reheats, prepare matzoh balls:
Whisk eggs with the chicken soup and oil to blend. Add remaining ingredients. Add salt and/or pepper to taste. Mixture should be somewhat salty. Once boiled, the balls will be blander. Refrigerate mixture thirty minutes.

Bring soup to a simmer.

Simmer matzoh balls in the soup. Drain and put them into the hot chicken soup. Do not boil.

Serves 12 to 14

Recipe by: Marcy Goldman - Kosher Cuisine with Marcy Goldman