CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZOH BALLS

Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls image

Provided by Mark Bittman

Yield Makes 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

3 eggs
6 to 9 cups good chicken stock
1/4 cup minced or grated onion
1/4 cup melted rendered chicken fat or canola or extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup matzoh meal, approximately
4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Steps:

1. Beat together the eggs and 1/2 cup of the stock. (If you would prefer very light matzoh balls, separate the eggs and beat the yolks with the stock. Beat the whites until almost stiff and fold them in after adding the matzoh meal.)
2. Stir in the onion, fat, salt, and pepper. Add the matzoh meal; the dough should be quite moist, barely stiff enough to make into balls. If it is too moist, add a little more meal.
3. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for an hour or overnight. When you're ready to cook, place a large pot of salted water to boil. (You can also cook the matzoh balls directly in your stock, but use the larger quantity of stock; the balls absorb a lot of liquid.) Using wet hands, shape the mixture into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Meanwhile, cook the carrots in the 5 1/2 cups stock.
4. Turn the heat under the boiling water to medium-low and cook the balls until expanded and set, about 30 minutes. Set them in soup bowls and ladle the stock and carrots over them, then garnish with lots of parsley.