There
are numerous spellings for these soup dumplings although The Food Lover’s Companion dictionary spells it matzo balls. There
are numerous ways to spell its other name; knaidlach, knadlach, kneidlach,
kneydlakh which means dumplings.
Matzo
balls were initially used during Passover when one could not use leavened bread
and the matzo was crushed into meal to make the dumplings. It was early in the
20th century that Manischewitz came out with a packaged matzo meal
and it was then that matzo balls started to grow in popularity. Each family,
each Bubbe,
had their own formula for her matzo balls light and fluffy (floaters) or dense
and heavy (sinkers). What made what,
well the more fat and matzo meal the heavier the matzo ball, less fat and less
matzo meal the lighter. Also the longer time spent chilling the fridge before
forming the balls and cooking them improves the texture. Seeking matzo ball
wisdom, I prepared numerous recipes each with a twist on original Manischewitz matzo meal boxed
recipe and with the matzo ball mixes which have leavening agents and
seasonings.
Faklempt,
either my balls were coming out loose or too heavy. Trying all recipes and
techniques to make replicas of my mother’s light and fluffy renditions had me
using club soda which contains sodium bicarbonate which aids in leavening and
separating the yolks from the whites, whipping the whites stiff and folding
them in as the last step. These did
nothing whatsoever to lighten the texture of my matzo balls.
Entrepreneur,
caterer and owner of Baltimore’s Haute Dog Carte
Daniel Raffel invited me over to his house for a matzo ball making party after
seeing me moaning about consistency in my matzo balls on social media. Daniel uses matzo ball mixes to start but has
tried and true techniques that make for a matzo ball which is a happy medium
between sinkers and floaters. I will try
to impart those pearls of wisdom on to you. My recommendation is to get the
matzo ball mixes by Streits or Manischewitz since they already have leavening
agents, seasonings and everything is already measured. If not use the plain matzo meal and add a
teaspoon of baking powder to the recipe for every ½ cup of matzo meal.
Matzo Ball Mix - 1
package
1. Put your eggs in a small bowl and
poke the yolks, don’t mix it up like scramble eggs
2. In a separate bowl add the 2 Tablespoons
vegetable oil but Daniel Raffel uses 1 Tablespoon schmaltz and 1 Tablespoon
shortening. If you make your own chicken stock, don’t throw away that fat that
forms at the top when chilled. Freeze it, it is full of flavor and use that for
the schmaltz. Add the matzo ball mix to the fat and blend it in pressing with a
fork when blended add the eggs and fold in until just blended but don’t over
mix. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes, the longer the better.
3. There are many recipes online,
some say to cook the matzo balls right in the stock – don’t do it, it will cloud up and suck up your broth. Bring plenty of water to a boil, salt lightly
– think like you are cooking pasta.
4. As the water is coming to a boil
form the matzo balls in a 1 inch diameter and put on a sheet pan. When the
water boils start to add the matzo balls, slowly they will rise to the surface.
Once the water comes back to a boil, reduce heat to a very low simmer and cover. As Lois Levenson emphasized in her recipe in 1952’s
Like Mama Used to Make, “Do
Not remove cover until ready to serve, as air entering the pot makes
the knadlach lose their fluffiness.” In reality, you want to remove a matzo
ball to make sure it is cooked through.
5. You may be making the matzo balls in advance
but when their cooking time is completed turn off the heat and leave the lid on
for about 20 minutes per instructions in the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food.
6. The matzo balls will have doubled
in size, meaning they are holding a good amount of water. Per Daniel Raffel,
put them on and angled sheet pans at the top of the angle and let the excess
moisture run off.(see photo in the slideshow) At this point they can be added to your soup.
Matzo balls freeze well – freeze until just firm on a lined sheet pan
(parchment paper or plastic wrap). Throw them in a freezer bag for use at a later
date. Let them reheat in a simmering broth.
Optional:
Add minced onion, parsley, dill or thyme to your matzo ball mixture.
Some add a hint of cinnamon, garlic powder. For a look back, our grandmothers
stuffed bone marrow in the center of the matzo balls while shaping them leaving the door open to your imagination for other surprise centers.
What I
have learned each family has its own rituals when making matzo balls. Hopefully
in this piece you have learned a bit more about making these dumplings. If you
have any tips for making matzo balls please share.
