What is the recipe for a Jewish CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZO BALLS?

MATZO BALLS

Cook the matzo balls separately, not in the soup because starch and congealed protein from the matzo balls will murk up your nice clear soup, ruin its appearance. You can cook them in plain salted water or a light chicken stock from chicken bouillon. You may prepare the matzo balls well in advance, ready to be reheated just before serving.

* 2 eggs

* 1/2 tsp salt

* 1 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger

* 3 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped

* 1/2 t ground black pepper

* 1 clove garlic, finely minced

* 3/4 cup matzo meal

* 2 Tbsp soft butter, oil or chicken fat

Scramble eggs, blend in salt, ginger, parsley, pepper and garlic. Slowly mix matzo meal and butter (or oil or fat) into egg mixture until it forms a dough. This will be a stiff dough, to lighten it add water slowly until it is workable (about 1/4 water).

Shape dough into neat, round 14 to 18 walnut-sized balls, lower them into simmering stock (using chicken bouillon), cover pot and gently for 10 minutes. Drain stock.

JEWISH CHICKEN SOUP

* 1 1/2 kilo chicken parts: bones, wings, thighs, feet, gizzards, hearts, skin in any ratio

* 2 large carrots, washed, unpeeled, broken into coarse pieces

* 1 large onion, peeled, cut into quarters

* 2 celery stalks, cut into quarters

* 1 medium parsnip, washed, unpeeled, cut into three pieces (or parsley root)

* 6-8 sprigs fresh Italian parsley, whole

* 4 sprigs fresh thyme, whole or 2 tsp dry thyme

* 1 Tbsp salt

* 1 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorn

* matzo balls (recipe below)

Place all ingredients in a large stock pot and add water to cover (3 to 4 liters). Bring water to boil over medium heat but watch the pot so water never comes to rolling boil (to avoid clouding the soup). When water is just about to boil, turn heat to lowest setting so only a few lazy bubbles break the surface. Cover pot and let simmer for 4 hours. (Longer simmering will not hurt soup.)

Remove pot from heat, fish out most of the chicken parts and vegetables and discard. Strain the liquid through a fine strainer and defat soup if necessary (see defatting suggestions above). Adjust salt to your taste.

Makes about 3 to 4 liters of chicken stock.

For soup body, take about 1/4 cup dry vermicelli (broken into matchstick lengths), 1/4 cup peas (fresh or frozen) and 1/4 cup thin carrot slices per serving. Cook vermicelli in salted water, blanch peas and carrots in boiling salted water until cooked but still crunchy. For garnish, coarsely chop fresh Italian parsley. Add these with matzo balls into individual soup bowls.