MATZOH BALLS…are yours cannonballs or floaters?

Since the radio interview yesterday, everyone has been emailing and asking…and the issue of matzoh ball recipes has come up again. We found it so hard when collecting the recipes for the book to find the “best” matzoh ball recipe. Everyone has their own, and everyone’s is often the best for themselves and their own family. Most have the same basic ingredients – matzoh meal, eggs, fat (schmalz) and salt. Some add fried onions, cinnamon, water.

They are traditionally eaten at Pesach (Passover) in hot, golden rich Chicken Soup (remember to check out Fanny’s chicken soup p. of the book) and there is nothing more nurturing and satisfying than sitting down to a bowl of chicken soup and matzoh balls (aka kneidlach).

Here is my mum’s recipe that she makes every year at Pesach for over 40 guests. She just multiplies the ingredients by 3 or 4 or 5, depending on how many.

We would love to see some more posts from our FB friends with their recipes for MBs!!!

MUM’S MATZOH BALLS

Start one day ahead

• 6 eggs, separated
• 1 cup coarse matzoh meal
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoons white pepper
• 2 Tablespoons (about 30 – 40 ml) melted chicken schmaltz or oil
• 3 x half egg shells of sparkling mineral or soda water
• around 1/3 cup water

Whisk whites until stiff. Set aside. Beat yolks until light, add schmaltz, salt and pepper and beat together. Add the matzoh meal and water and combine. Lighten the mixture with a few spoons of the whisked whites.

Fold the egg whites into this mixture until you have a smooth, light batter. Taste and season more if needed. Needs to be really well flavoured!

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, the mixture should be the right consistency to do the next step. If it is too liquid, add more matzoh meal. If it is too firm, add a little water. (This year, Mum added about 100gf matzo meal the next day…it seems to change every year!)

When ready to cook, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.

With wet hands (and with “light hands” i.e don’t press the mixture too firmly), make golf-ball size balls with the batter. Put straight into the boiling water. When all the balls are in, turn down to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove from water and drain.

Can serve immediately in hot chicken soup or reheat later in chicken soup.

Makes approximately 30 balls

Recipe adapted from: “Love & Kishkes” first published 1937