Although ready-made matzo ball mixes (such as the one made by the Israeli company “Yehuda”) can be used as shortcuts that result in perfect balls every time—IF all instructions on the box are followed to the letter—we prefer the tastier and, for some reason, more satisfying cook-made matzo balls.
(Note: We also highly recommend that organic ingredients (and mixes) be used to avoid matzo meal made from genetically altered or bio-engineered grains, hormone- and antibiotic-laced eggs and other tainted foods. Our research shows that—contrary to FDA and USDA claims—our food supply has become less safe due to pesticides, chemical fertilizers, bacterial contaminations and other toxins. With health maintenance becoming more difficult because of our increasingly compromised environment, eating organic foods is no longer a luxury but a practical and cost-effective method of self-preservation.)
This recipe for Homemade Matzo Balls will produce 12-14 balls:
4 eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons of seltzer water, bubbly mineral water like Pellegrino, or spring water
1 teaspoon of sea salt
A shake or two of Cayenne Pepper (depending on how spicy-hot you like your food), or fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1 fresh parsley sprig, chopped–or 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of matzo meal
Combine the eggs, oil, matzo meal, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the water and blend until a uniform texture is formed. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until the mixture is firm enough to hold and form balls.
Boil 2 1/2 quarts of salted water. Wet your hands and form walnut-size balls. Place the balls into the boiling water. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add to the soup. Ladle into soup bowls.
Some of us learned from our mothers to strain the chicken soup and cook the matzo balls right in the broth. Which is probably why they soaked up the soup flavors. But our Kitchen Shrink prefers boiling them in water first, to make sure the broth does not get murky from some accidentally disintegrating matzo ball. Your call.)
ENJOY!
