Matzo Ball Soup

Now the post I know you have all been waiting for... Okay, Diane has been waiting for this since I think Freshman year of college. Again no pictures. I've been too lazy since I don't want to have to move a bunch of stuff from this super old computer to whatever new computer/hard drive I get soon. In the meantime here is the recipe. Hopefully while I am home I can learn to make the spectacular matzo balls that my mom has figured out how to make. And Diane you will want to add probably 10 times the amount of pepper I have here...basically spill it in the soup like I did that one time.

Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken
6-8 cups of water, depends on how big of a pot you use. Will explain later.
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
4-6 medium carrots chopped
4-6 medium sticks of celery chopped
quarter size amount of spaghetti or angel hair pasta (torn into about one inch bits)

1 cup of matzo meal
+ the directions on the CAN of Manischewitz matzo meal (Do not buy the pre-made individual packets, not the right taste/consistency.)
Use VEGETABLE oil and NOT Olive oil. The matzo balls just don't taste right then.

Time: 3 hours+ for flavorful soup

Place your rotisserie chicken skin and any drippings and all into your largest pot. If it the chicken has rope or plastic keeping its legs together take it off. Then fill up the pot with water to about one to two inches from the top. You will be taking the chicken bones out in the end so that will make the height of the water/soup go down, and your pot wont over flow once you get everything else in. The place your pot on the stove and bring it to a boil. This means you can place the stove on high, medium, or even low heat. The point is that once it begins to boil you should turn the stove down to low so your food does not boil over/over cook. Once you have your chicken boiling in water, turn the stove to low, and then continue to cook for an hour. Taste the broth and add the salt, pepper, and oregano. Then continue to cook for another 45 minutes. Add more salt or pepper to your own taste as this "water" will be your soup stock.

Chop your veggies while the stock is cooking. Then you can just add them later when needed.

Once the stock has cooked for a while, to get all of the juices out of the chicken and into the water, take the chicken and all pieces/bones it has split into out of the pot and into a big bowl. Then follow the instructions on the can of Manischewitz matzo meal and place your matzo in the fridge to cool/set. I usually add less salt than the can calls for and then taste it after I add my soup stock to it to decide how much salt I want to add. And yes I know there is raw egg in this. I am not advocating that you try food with raw egg in it if you do not feel comfortable. If this isn't an issue for you it isn't a bad thing to try it since you don't want you matzo balls to be plain.

After you put the matzo dough in the fridge add your veggies to the soup stock and bring it back to a simmer. As you are letting the pot simmer, tear all of the chicken meat off and toss it back into the soup. Once your soup is at a boil again, your matzo balls should be ready to make in the fridge. They are supposed to sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, and I know some Jewish women leave them there for a whole night. Take out your matzo meal though from the fridge and wet your hands with lots of water. This helps to keep the matzo dough from sticking to your hands as you make your balls. Next take about a tablespoon size scoop of matzo dough and make it into a ball in your hand and then plop it in the soup. I try to get ball shaped sizes of matzo dough when I get it from the dough because if compress it too much to make a perfect ball shape then your matzo balls end up really dense, whereas I prefer them to be as light and fluffy as possible. Once you have made all of your matzo balls and placed them in the soup, cover your boiling soup and place it on low. You will need to let the matzo balls cook in the broth for at least 40 minutes, so use that count down as your timer so to speak for when to put in the noodles. If using angel hair pasta like I have listed then you will place your broken up pieces in to the soup with about 4 minutes left on your matzo ball timer. Once the noodles are done your soup is good to go! Merely scoop into bowls and let your guests season it with salt and pepper as they wish since everyone prefers a different amount -cough- Diane -cough-.

I hope you all enjoy the soup. Once I find the pictures on my external drive I will add them to this.