Matza Balls

This recipe I got directly from Savta Rivka – since she cooked without referring to written recipes, I decided to watch her when she was making matza balls for Passover, and I wrote down exactly what she did. I always loved her matza balls; they were SO good – chewy, yummy. 

These matza balls are not the “fluffy” kind, which are popular in Jewish delicatessens in NY – they are more solid, and tastier, in my opinion. 

Please, please, please, do not cook the matza balls directly in the chicken soup. Cook them in boiling salted water until they float to the top. For extra flavor, you can add some chicken stock to the water. Then take out the matza balls and when you serve the chicken soup, add them to the serving bowls.

This is a good time for me to make a confession….During all the holiday meals, including the Passover Seder, I always sat at the corner of the dining table at Saba and Savta’s house in Tel Aviv, right next to Savta Rivka. This turned out to be a wonderful blessing for me – Savta knew that I loved her matza balls, and when she would ladle the soup and then the matza balls into the individual soup bowls, she always quietly, with a smile, added one or two extra matza balls to my bowl…….I think that she always made sure that there were even some more left over and she would quietly come over and drop those extra matza balls into my soup while I was eating……I will be forever thankful to Savta for this “secret pact” that we had……and I often reminisce about that mischievous smile on Savta’s face when she would quietly add those extra matza balls to my soup!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup matza meal
• 1 1/4 cups boiling water
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tablespoon canola oil
• salt
• pepper

Preparation:

1. In large bowl, put the 1 cup of matza meal.
2. Pour in the boiling water (1 1/4 cups).
3. Mix the two together.
4. Add the two eggs, salt and pepper to taste, and the canola oil.
5. Mix with large spoon, till all blended.
6. Let stand for a few hours (this is important). You may have to add some extra matza meal before forming the balls, if the mixture is too liquid; or if it is too stiff, you may have to add a bit of water.
7. In very large pot, put a large amount of water, to which you have added some salt. You can also add a bit of chicken broth for added flavor. Boil the water. When this comes to a boil, prepare a bowl of cold water into which you should dip your hands before forming each matza ball (this way it will be easier to form the balls into nice round shapes that won’t stick to your hands).
8. With wet hands, form balls and drop carefully into the boiling water. When the balls float to the top, cook for another 3-4 minutes, and then remove with a slotted spoon, one at a time, to a plastic box with cover. The matza balls should not be crowded in the pot when cooking, so that they don’t stick together.
9. Before serving the soup with the matza balls, place two matza balls in each bowl, and over that, pour the hot, clear chicken soup.
10. Serve.

TIP: PLEASE do not ever cook the matza balls directly in the chicken soup; they should be cooked separately in a big pot of salted boiling water – and when you are ready to serve the soup,  just add 2 (or 3 or 4….) matza balls to each soup bowl. If you try to cook the matza balls directly in the soup, you will turn the clear beautiful chicken soup into a foggy soup……and that would be such a pity.