Around the Passover Table (7 page)

Savory Herbed Matzoh
Kleis
(Matzoh Balls Made from Whole Matzoh)

yield:
About 6 servings

Homey dumplings have been a hallmark of German cuisine ever since the Middle Ages, and the Yiddish words, knaidl (a variant of
knoedl
) and kleis (which began as
klosse
) reveal their German ancestry. Jewish cooks in Central and Eastern Europe incorporated dumplings into their repertoire, fashioning them from bread, rolls, flour, and potatoes.

And for Passover, they made fluffy balls out of matzoh. I have found that the Alsatian, German, and Czech matzoh ball recipes, often called kleis, created from soaked pieces of whole matzoh, are frequently more imaginatively and assertively flavored than the familiar variety made of matzoh meal. And I love the way the matzoh pieces seem to inhale the seasonings far more lustily than matzoh meal does.

In my rendition, generous lacings of fresh herbs and lemon zest, along with a delicate, traditional ground-almond thickener, make for kleis that are vibrant yet gossamer-light.

6 whole plain matzohs

2 cups chicken broth, preferably
homemade
, or good-quality, low-sodium
purchased

2 cups finely chopped onions

3 tablespoons mild olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons finely snipped fresh chives

1 tablespoon finely snipped fresh dill

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

3 large eggs

About 3 tablespoons ground blanched almonds or matzoh meal plus additional, if desired, for dredging kleis

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 recipe
Classic Chicken Soup
or
Almost Homemade Soup

BREAK
the matzohs into small pieces in a large bowl. Heat the broth until it is very hot and pour it over the matzoh. Set aside to allow the matzoh to drink up the broth.

IN
a large skillet, sauté the onion in the oil over medium heat, stirring, until soft and translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley, chives, dill, and lemon zest. Add the soaked matzoh and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes dry and paste-like. Return it to the bowl and let cool until you can handle it.

YOUR
fingers will do the best job mixing this, but if you're really averse to using them, try a potato masher, ricer, or just a heavy fork. Knead and mash the matzoh pieces until you have a fairly smooth, homogeneous mixture.

BEAT
in the eggs, one at a time, and the ground almonds or matzoh meal, and season well with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the mixture to absorb all the seasoning and liquid.

BRING
4 quarts water and 1
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoons salt to a boil in a large, wide lidded pot. Place a bowl of cold water and a large platter or tray near you as you work.

NOW
try rolling a little batter into a walnut- or olive-size ball. It should be somewhat sticky, but fairly easy to roll into very soft balls, with hands moistened with the cold water as needed. If the batter is too soft to roll, or the balls don't hold their shape on the platter, add just enough ground almonds or matzoh meal to achieve the right consistency. (Too much will make the kleis heavy, as will packing them too densely into a ball. A light touch is essential. Eventually you'll know quite easily when they feel just right.)

IF
you'd like the kleis to look more finished, without homey, ragged edges (it's a slight tradeoff—they won't be quite as light), spread additional ground almonds or matzoh meal on a sheet of wax paper or a plate, and very lightly dredge the rolled balls in it. Put the finished balls on the platter or tray, and continue making the kleis until all the batter is used up.

WHEN
all the kleis are rolled and the water is boiling furiously, turn heat down to a gentle boil. Quickly and carefully slide the balls in, one by one, nudging them in with a spoon or your finger, and cover the pot tightly. Don't crowd the pot—if necessary, prepare the kleis in two batches or use two pots. Temperature is important here: if the water is boiling with too much force, the matzoh balls may break up or disintegrate into thick sludge. If the water is not hot enough, the protein won't coagulate and the hapless balls will also fall apart. Aim to keep the water, as the French say, “smiling”—perhaps even “laughing softly,” the bubbles breaking slowly and gently on the surface of the water. (You can best check the water temperature if the pot lid is glass; otherwise, listen for sounds of rapid boiling, but don't lift the lid.)

SIMMER
over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, without removing the lid. (They will cook by direct heat as well as by steam, which makes them puff and swell, and peeking will dissipate some of that steam.) Take out a dumpling and cut it in half. It should be tender, fluffy, and completely cooked through. If it isn't, continue cooking until the kleis tests done.

REMOVE
them gently with a skimmer or large slotted spoon—they are too fragile to pour out into a colander. Add them to the soup and simmer slowly until piping hot. Ladle the kleis and steaming soup into warmed shallow bowls and serve immediately. Or cover the drained kleis with some broth and set aside until you are ready to heat them.

Celery
Avgolemono
(Greek Egg Lemon Soup) with Chicken Matzoh Balls

yield:
About 8 servings

Tart and creamy egg-and-lemon is a classic combination in Sephardi repertoires all over the world. It appears as a sprightly sauce, warm or cold, napping vegetables, fish, even poached chicken, and it transforms humble chicken soup with rice into a boldface name—a favorite for pre- and post-Yom Kippur fasts and for Passover seders, when pieces of matzoh may be added.

The secret in this rendition is separating the eggs before they are whisked in: the airy beaten whites make the soup particularly light and fresh tasting. For our Passovers, I've replaced the rice with braised celery or spinach.

And since for me, it isn't a seder without matzoh balls, I've created these chicken dumplings with a nod to the Dayenu I learned about in Verona, Italy. Because they are packed with lots of protein-rich chopped raw chicken, these matzoh balls react like meatballs when they hit the heat of the simmering liquid, firming up beautifully. There is virtually no chance of disintegration, yet they are tender and full of flavor: perfect for the formerly matzoh ball-challenged.

FOR THE CHICKEN MATZOH BALLS

2 whole egg or plain matzohs

1 cup chicken broth, preferably
homemade
or good-quality, low-sodium
purchased
, plus a few extra tablespoons to moisten the cooked matzoh balls

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

¹
⁄
₂
cup coarsely chopped onion

3 tablespoons snipped fresh dill

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons mild olive or avocado oil

FOR THE SOUP

2 tablespoons mild olive or avocado oil

2 cups diced celery

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

9 cups chicken broth, preferably
homemade
, or good-quality, low-sodium
purchased

5 large eggs, separated (at room temperature)

About
²
⁄
₃
cup fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons snipped fresh dill

Thinly sliced lemon, sprigs of dill and mint, for garnish

PREPARE
the chicken matzoh balls: break the matzoh into small pieces in a large bowl, and pour the broth over it. Set the bowl aside, stirring now and then, while the matzoh drinks in the broth.

TRIM
away all fat and sinews from the chicken and cut it into 1-inch chunks. Put the chicken in a food processor with the onions, and chop fine, using the pulse motion. Squeeze the matzoh with your hands to drain off the excess broth, and add the drained matzoh to the food processor. (Discard any remaining broth, but don't bother to rinse out the bowl.) Add the herbs, salt (figure about 1 teaspoon, but the exact amount will depend on the saltiness of your broth) and pepper to taste, and pulse until well blended.

BEAT
the eggs and the oil together in the large bowl. Transfer the chicken-matzoh mixture to the bowl and combine thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm the batter and marry the flavors.

BRING
4 quarts water and 1
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoons salt to a boil in a large, wide lidded pot. Shape the batter into walnut-size balls, and place on a platter. When the water is boiling furiously, turn the heat down to a gentle boil, and slide the balls in one at a time. Alternatively, if the batter is too soft, form the balls using two spoons, pushing the batter off the spoon right into the water. You'll find that these matzoh balls are much sturdier than the regular kind, and won't fall apart as easily. And they need less room to expand, so you can fit more into the pot. Avoid overcrowding though—unless your pot is very large, you may still need to prepare them in two batches or use two pots.

WHEN
the water returns to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook for about 15 minutes. Test for doneness: remove a matzoh ball and cut it in half. It should be tender, fluffy and completely cooked through. If it isn't, continue cooking for a few more minutes. Remove the matzoh balls with a skimmer or large slotted spoon to a big platter, and sprinkle them with a little broth to keep them moist as you prepare the soup.

HEAT
the oil in a deep 8- to 9-inch skillet. Add the celery, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and sauté for 3 minutes. Spoon over 1 cup of the broth, bring to a boil, then cover the pan tightly and braise over moderately low heat until the celery is tender. Transfer the celery and its cooking liquid to a large pot and add the rest of the broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until heated through. Remove the pot from heat.

IN
a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Continue beating at low speed, while slowly adding the yolks, one at a time, and then the lemon juice. Still beating constantly, very slowly ladle 2 cups of the hot broth into the egg mixture. (Take care here: if you don't temper the eggs slowly, the mixture will curdle, and you'll wind up with egg drop soup.) Now add the egg-broth mixture back into the pot of soup. Add the chicken matzoh balls and the dill.

SLOWLY
reheat, stirring constantly, until everything is piping hot. Don't let the soup approach a boil or it may curdle. Taste and adjust the seasonings. It should be very lemony and well salted.

USING
a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken matzoh balls to shallow soup bowls and ladle the hot soup and celery over them. Garnish, if desired, with lemon slices and fresh herb sprigs. The flavors improve if you let the soup stand a few minutes before serving.

COOK'S NOTE
: If you prefer an airy soup that is not quite as frothy, allow the soup to rest a few more minutes or simmer gently for a few extra minutes before serving.

Try flavoring the soup with some of the pale celery leaves, chopped, instead of the dill. Or boost the lemon taste with some grated lemon zest. You can substitute an equal amount of fresh fennel for the celery and proceed as above, garnishing with a few fennel fronds. Or make Spinach Avgolemono: you'll need only 8 cups broth. Omit the celery, and simply stir 2 cups fresh spinach leaves, shredded, into the broth, and simmer until wilted.

The soup is also excellent reheated, as long as you avoid high heat, and very good cold, too (when served without the matzoh balls).