Matzo Balls, Kneidlach, etc.

[Pam R]

The directions on the matzo ball mix box or matzo meal box?

Which brand?

[JanMcBaker]

Based on what I've learned from using Mimi Sheraton's recipe from her book 'From (In?) My Mother's Kitchen', here's a couple observations, but I'm not sure if they'd also apply to matzoh balls from a mix. Anyway, her description of what the batter should be like before cooking helped me a lot-- something like loose mashed potatoes-- not real solid. I also try to keep the water or broth simmering, not at a boil. When I've had the liquid boiling, the balls puffed up at first, then deflated and got more solid than I wanted. Some recipes say to keep a lid on the pot but I've never found not having a lid on to be a problem-- it was the consistency of the batter, and simmering vs. boiling liquids that seemed to make the biggest differences. Hope this helps!

[UnConundrum]

You can find my recipe HERE . Can't say I've tried different recipes, because this one always works out for me. The size of the eggs can cause some variation, so stick with extra large. I think the trick to mine is that I separate the eggs, and beat the whites till stiff.

BTW, you should know that there are some people out there that prefer "cannon balls" My brother is one of them. Always gives me a rough time

[KatieLoeb]

Separate the eggs and beat the whites until stiff, as UnConundrum suggests.

The other trick is to use a bit of club soda as the "liquid" in the batter, instead of chicken broth/water as the back of the box recipe suggests. Light and fluffy every time.

[LuckyGirl]

Many thanks to everyone who posed their methods and suggestioins. I just made another batch and they turned out exactly as I was hoping for, like clouds!

I took a little from each post and wound up doing the following-

-Beat the egg whites to just short of stiff peaks

-Lightly beat my yolks and added the oil and matzo to that bowl and then folded in the egg whites.

-Cut down the oil by a third

-Used club soda as the liquid

-Let them simmer very gently, for the first half with the lid off the pan and for the second half covered.

-Didn't salt the batter rather salted the water

-Made the batter much looser than the previous batter even though I felt that one was pretty loose

Thanks again! I feel II have mastered the making of light and fluffy matzoh balls.

[lauren75]

Does anybody have a good recipe? Or even can you share your favorite of the boxed brands? I am taking on Passover for the first time, so any other favorite recipes would be greatly appreciated!

[jackal10]

Does no one flavour their matzoh balls? For me fried onion and chopped parsley are essential

[jsmeeker]

My first attempt at making matzo balls for matzo ball soup.

formed and ready to cook

just after dropping them into well salted simmering water

done cooking. They sure puffed up a lot.

Served with some home made chicken stock.

one of them sliced open to show the inside.

[Turtleboy]

My first attempt at making matzo balls for matzo ball soup.

formed and ready to cook

just after dropping them into well salted simmering water

done cooking. They sure puffed up a lot.

Served with some home made chicken stock.

one of them sliced open to show the inside.

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I have to give props to my good friend Jsmeeker (known to many as "Smeek"). 'Smeek is a goyish Texas Boy who has had never seen or had Matzo Balls before, but is an expert enough cook that he can make them as well as my Bubbie.

Smeek, maybe when we go to Vegas in a couple of months I'll take you to the Carnegie Deli in the Mirage.

[Lior]

totally impressed! Wow.

[jackal10]

I like mine with soaked and squeezed Matzo, fried onion and parsley incorporated.

[NancyH]

Those do look yummy - well done!

Here is how I do mine. Start with the freshest, best quality eggs you can get. I got mine from the Blue Egg Farmer, and they were only about a week out of the chicken when I cooked them! Begin by separating the eggs.

For every 6 eggs, use 1 cup of matzo meal. The recipe this is based on, from Sara Kasdan's Love and Knishes, also calls for 1 TB schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) per six eggs, but since no one in my family ever used it, I do not. Here, I did a double batch, 12 eggs, 2 cups matzo meal. Since these were the fabulous Blue Eggs, which vary in size, I added a 13th egg. A little salt (2 tsp for 12 eggs, according the recipe, reduced a bit to account for the strength of Kosher Salt) and fresh ground white pepper (1/4 tsp), and that's all there is to it, though you can gussy it up with seasonings like nutmeg or parsley, or whatever else you want. But I am a purist with my Passover cooking. And I always wind up glad I didn't mess with the recipe!

Beat the yolks beat the yolks until light, then add the salt and pepper.

In the Kitchen Aid, beat the egg whites until stiff. Then, add the yolk mixture on top, and gently fold in.

Once the ingredients are folded together, cover with a dishtowel and refrigerate for at least an hour. After about 3 hours in the fridge, the batter looked like this:

I'm impressed that JSMeeker was able to form his balls and photograph them. My batter is too loose and messy to make balls and stand them anywhere! But I must be doing something right - here's the finished product:

Edited April 22, 2008 by NancyH (log)

[Lior]

perfect and beautiful!! Yum!

[mhberk]

Those do look yummy - well done!

Here is how I do mine.  Start with the freshest, best quality eggs you can get.  I got mine from the Blue Egg Farmer, and they were only about a week out of the chicken when I cooked them!  Begin by separating the eggs.

For every 6 eggs, use 1 cup of matzo meal. The recipe this is based on, from Sara Kasdan's Love and Knishes, also calls for 1 TB schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) per six eggs, but since no one in my family ever used it, I do not. Here, I did a double batch, 12 eggs, 2 cups matzo meal. Since these were the fabulous Blue Eggs, which vary in size, I added a 13th egg. A little salt (2 tsp for 12 eggs, according the recipe, reduced a bit to account for the strength of Kosher Salt) and fresh ground white pepper (1/4 tsp), and that's all there is to it, though you can gussy it up with seasonings like nutmeg or parsley, or whatever else you want. But I am a purist with my Passover cooking. And I always wind up glad I didn't mess with the recipe!

Beat the yolks beat the yolks until light, then add the salt and pepper.

In the Kitchen Aid, beat the egg whites until stiff. Then, add the yolk mixture on top, and gently fold in.

Once the ingredients are folded together, cover with a dishtowel and refrigerate for at least an hour. After about 3 hours in the fridge, the batter looked like this:

I'm impressed that JSMeeker was able to form his balls and photograph them.  My batter is too loose and messy to make balls and stand them anywhere!  But I must be doing something right - here's the finished product:

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That's great!!

At what point did you add the matzo meal?

[NancyH]

That's great!!

At what point did you add the matzo meal?

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Edited April 23, 2008 by NancyH (log)

[jsmeeker]

I'm impressed that JSMeeker was able to form his balls and photograph them.  My batter is too loose and messy to make balls and stand them anywhere!  But I must be doing something right - here's the finished product:

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it's interesting you say that. So, I'll fess up...

After I combined all the ingredients, it looked very loose to me. (this was before letting it rest in the fridge). Never having made them before, I wasn't sure what if it was right. But I had followed the ratios on the box. (2 eggs, 1/2 cup matzo meal, some chicken fat, and a little splash of seltzer). So, thinking it was way to loose and that I would never be able to form a ball from it, I dumped in some more matzo meal. Then let it rest. When I took it out to form the balls, it was pretty stiff.

I guess I didn't realize the dough would firm up some. I probably didn't need that addtional meal. But now I know for the next time.

[NancyH]

I'm impressed that JSMeeker was able to form his balls and photograph them.  My batter is too loose and messy to make balls and stand them anywhere!  But I must be doing something right - here's the finished product:

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it's interesting you say that. So, I'll fess up...

After I combined all the ingredients, it looked very loose to me. (this was before letting it rest in the fridge). Never having made them before, I wasn't sure what if it was right. But I had followed the ratios on the box. (2 eggs, 1/2 cup matzo meal, some chicken fat, and a little splash of seltzer). So, thinking it was way to loose and that I would never be able to form a ball from it, I dumped in some more matzo meal. Then let it rest. When I took it out to form the balls, it was pretty stiff.

I guess I didn't realize the dough would firm up some. I probably didn't need that addtional meal. But now I know for the next time.

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But yet despite the extra matzo meal, they floated and were fluffy? Hey - it's the results that count!

[jsmeeker]

I'm impressed that JSMeeker was able to form his balls and photograph them.  My batter is too loose and messy to make balls and stand them anywhere!  But I must be doing something right - here's the finished product:

←

it's interesting you say that. So, I'll fess up...

After I combined all the ingredients, it looked very loose to me. (this was before letting it rest in the fridge). Never having made them before, I wasn't sure what if it was right. But I had followed the ratios on the box. (2 eggs, 1/2 cup matzo meal, some chicken fat, and a little splash of seltzer). So, thinking it was way to loose and that I would never be able to form a ball from it, I dumped in some more matzo meal. Then let it rest. When I took it out to form the balls, it was pretty stiff.

I guess I didn't realize the dough would firm up some. I probably didn't need that addtional meal. But now I know for the next time.

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But yet despite the extra matzo meal, they floated and were fluffy? Hey - it's the results that count!

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well, they were floating while cooking. And I *guess* they were light. They didn't seem heavy and chewy to me. But wih nothing to compare against, I can't say for sure. But I will try the seperated egg method next time, and will resist the urge to add more meal to a loose batter. I'll see how those work out. THEN i cen ell if my original attempt was really a "sinker"

[NancyH]

The reason for wetting the hands is to keep the batter from sticking to them - if it isn't sticking, then the batter is too dry. It should get fluffy and kind of hard to handle after sitting in the fridge - mom always said to cup the batter gently in the palm of the hand and sort of "roll" it into the water. Maybe next time I make them, I'll get my husband to photograph my hands!

[jsmeeker]

The reason for wetting the hands is to keep the batter from sticking to them - if it isn't sticking, then the batter is too dry.  It should get fluffy and kind of hard to handle after sitting in the fridge - mom always said to cup the batter gently in the palm of the hand and sort of "roll" it into the water.  Maybe next time I make them, I'll get my husband to photograph my hands!

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thanks for that bit of advice. I found that the dough wasn't really sticking much to my hands. The balls were pretty easy to form. I think that indicates my dough was indeed too dry.

[Lisa2k]

A step up from Bubby's! Homemade rich, dark roasted chicken stock - finely diced onions, caramelized in shmaltz, added to the matzo ball (matzo meal, eggs, a little ginger ale, salt and pepper) mixture, along with fresh chives and parsley. Carrots (cooked in the finished, defatted stock) and torn roasted chicken added to the soup. I love sinkers AND floaters, so I finally came up with a matzo ball that has a little of both.

A closer view.

[Priscilla]

Has anyone ever tried pressure-cooking matzoh balls?

Making them the other day I mused on this possibility.

Not that I have a pressure cooker. But I have a big imagination.

Would it be a way to get quickly and perfectly cooked light fluffy matzoh balls cooked right through to the center? Or would it toughen the eggs and make 'em too chewy?

Or???

[Pam R]

I have no idea, but I wonder if they'd fall apart. I think somebody should try it.

[Shel_B]

So, has anyone got a few good ideas for these delicious and sometimes all-too-seasonal little jewels? I'm running out of ideas and my recipe computer is in the shop. I've got chicken broth and plenty of schmaltz, and of course, matzoh.

[NancyH]

Shel - have you got eggs? And a food processor? That's all you need! Make a cup of matzoh meal by processing the matzoh until it looks like fine bread crumbs. Mix with 6 eggs (you can separate the eggs and beat the whites to a gentle stiff peak, then recombine with beaten yolks)and a little salt and pepper. Let the batter rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Form into balls and drop into salted boiling water and cook for an hour - and you'll have matzoh balls! Some folks add a tablespoon of schmaltz to the batter - we never did so I don't - but that's all there is to it!