Passover 2006–

[BeeZee]

I did find a recipe that used potato starch, too.

Might be fun to experiment the weekend before and have a backup kugel (haha).

[Pam R]

Of course. Potato starch makes sense. I might have to experiment myself - but not until Chol Hamoed.

[Jambalyle]

Hi all...

We're hosting two seders at our home, mostly potluck family and havurah affairs. Since traveling with a large amount of liquid is often a recipe for disaster, we've offered to make the chicken soup for others' matzo balls.

My MIL swears that the best chicken stock/soup is made from chicken feet. Yesterday, my MIL calls me at work and tells me that she put 3lbs of chicken feet in my fridge and would put the $ on "my tab"...

Anyway, my MIL's chicken soup is good, but sometimes bland - some years better than others - but she always starts with chicken feet.

So, in an effort to kick the chicken soup up a notch, my questions to you are:

Should I roast or brown the chicken feet before adding to my stock pot?

Do you have recommendations for adding other vegetables to the stock pot, besides onion, celery, carrot, and parsnip?

Thanks in advance!

-Lyle

[Pam R]

I'm not a fan of roasting the chicken before souping. Feet should be good, but do you use anything else? (I am a fan of wings and necks.) Does the soup simmer long enough and is there enough salt in it?

[Jambalyle]

Pam, thanks for the advice. I think I do have a couple of chicken necks buried in the freezer and I think I can get plain ole wings at the market. I wasn't sold on the roasting/browning the feet before adding to the stock pot, so that's one less pan dirtied.

Those times when MIL's soup was on the bland side, a dash of salt and a grind of pepper went along way to cure the problem. Do you use any other seasonings besides salt and pepper in your basic chicken soup? How far in advance do you make your soup before seder, or do you make it that day?

[apronstrings]

Lyle, try tossing in a sweet potato, halved.

[Pam R]

Do you use any other seasonings besides salt and pepper in your basic chicken soup?  How far in advance do you make your soup before seder, or do you make it that day?

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I don't even use pepper. I think that people tend to under-salt things. It's amazing how just a little more salt brings out the other flavours in food (being sure not to over-salt, of course.)

I'm all about fresh dill in my chicken soup. It's funny, I don't like dill on much, but boil a potato or make a pot of chicken soup and I probably overdo the dill (for some people - perfect for me!).

I try to never make chicken soup the day we'll be eating it. At work we'll be making a big batch on Sunday, chilling it, defatting and then freezing it for a week. At home I like to do it at least the day before. This gives you a chance to chill it, remove the fat and reduce it if necessary.

[Pam R]

Lyle, try tossing in a sweet potato, halved.

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I've never tried that. What does it do? Does it dissolve? I'm guessing it adds some sweetness. I have to try this!

[Jambalyle]

I think I'll make my chicken soup stock this weekend too... I'l let you know how it goes!

-Lyle

[apronstrings]

It doesn't dissolve. It gives the soup a very subtle sweetness. And of course, as soon as the soup has cooled, I fish out he potato and eat it!!! Yum!

[Pam R]

It doesn't dissolve. It gives the soup a very subtle sweetness. And of course, as soon as the soup has cooled, I fish out he potato and eat it!!!  Yum!

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Do you use parsnip as well, or is the sweet potato instead of parsnip? I bought some parsnips this afternoon - $5 for a bag of 5. Seems a little high for a parsnip. . .

[apronstrings]

I use a parsnip as well...

[Miriam Kresh]

We don't get parsnip here, at least, they are rare on the market. I depend on carrots for that slight sweetness, and butternut squash is delicious in chicken soup too. Don't any of you guys put garlic in the soup? For a large pot I usually put in 2 large cloves.

I'm thinking of ordering duck for Seder night, and just roasting it with basil leaves tucked under the skin, having been marinated in orange juice and white wine (prolly with a little garlic too) beforehand. One advantage of having become a smaller family is that we can now afford more expensive holiday food.

Miriam

[CaliPoutine]

I bought some KFP whole wheat matza meal. Do you think I could use that for matza balls or would it be too heavy?

[greenwich st]

Emergency question -- sorry if I missed the answer elsewhere in this thread. Can I dredge lamb shanks in potato starch instead of flour for my Tuesday seder braise? (I'm making Molly Steven's shanks with tomato, lemon and olives.) I have matzoh meal as well, but that really doesn't seem like it would work. Or should I just skip the dredging? Thanks -- I know everyone is fiendishly cooking right now!

[Pam R]

If it's not too late, and you have some, I would use cake meal.

Good luck!

[greenwich st]

Thanks, Pam -- I guess I can make it by spinning my regular meal. I think it's a good idea -- I saw warnings on the web about letting potato starch come to a boil, and you never know with a long braise....

[JFLinLA]

A little over 2 weeks to go so time to bring this one up again. Just to get things started, let me share an exchange I had with a colleague at the office. He was shocked that anyone would ever consider a matzah ball that was anything other than light as air. He couldn't believe that there were people who actually like their knaidlach a little dense and make them that way on purpose.

So, what do you say, sinkers or floaters?

[Pam R]

Floaters, but some of my family likes sinkers. Fools.

[nibor]

If they don't float I catch all sorts of grief. Hint: if you are transporting the soup even a couple of blocks, don't add the balls till you get there. Even the lightest floater will sink on the way.

[KatieLoeb]

It's all about the floaters. Sinkers were a joke in my family. My uncles and cousins would laugh about taking them out to play golf with...

THIS recent recipe in Food and Wine Magazine looked quite intriguing to me. Matzoh Ball soup with Dill-Horseradish Pistou. Yum! I heartily agree that the secret to floaters is to use club soda in the matzoh ball batter.

Some of you old timers here on eGullet might recognize the name of the author of the main article. Nice job JJ!!

[jackal10]

I prefer sinkers. Something to get your teeth into.

[BeeZee]

Second for sinkers. I like the slightly chewy texture, sort of gnocchi-like.

[gini]

Floaters!

[Lior]

Everyone in my family likes them small and dense, dense and dense!!! If you want an interesting chicken soup take a look at my blog-there is a picture and I can get you the exact recipe but it is pretty straight forward- chicken (all parts), onions, potatoes, celery root or sticks if you can't get the root, some garlic, fresh parsley and coriander, some tumeric and cumin. When the vegies are soft and before they are mushy, take out of soup to serve separately. Of course, salt. After it is cold skim off the fat. ETA:

Oh and we also take out the chicken before it gets mushy and also serve on table separately for whoever wants a piece in their soup. My SIL hates soup chicken and calls it "laundried chicken" as though it went through the wash... My husband loves it asit is yellow from the spices and he thinks it is very tasty!!.

Edited April 5, 2008 by Lior (log)