Make-Ahead Matzo Balls
This matzo ball recipe is tasty because it is chock full of herbs and scallions, shallots, or red onion. It freezes well, so it's perfect for holidays when you don't want to fuss on the day when you serve the holiday meal. Plus, it's wonderful comfort food to keep around and cook straight from frozen when you need a satisfying meal and a warm culinary hug.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons margarine or butter 3 oz/85 g (3/4 stick). It is traditional to use chicken fat (schmaltz) or margarine. I made these vegetarian, so I used margarine. If you prefer butter, that works too.
- 3-4 scallions, finely chopped 7/8 oz/20 g Alternatively, use about 4 oz/115 g diced (finely chopped) shallot or red onion.
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup matzo meal 4 & 1/2 oz/130 g
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper You can use black pepper if you don't mind the dark speckles but white pepper is finer and has a more delicate taste.
- 3 tablespoons carbonated, unflavored soda, e.g. seltzer, Perrier, Pellegrino, etc.
Instructions
Making the matzo balls
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Melt the margarine in a small pan on medium-low heat. (Don't let it brown) Raise the heat to medium-high and add the scallions, shallots, or red onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the scallions, shallots, or red onion are lightly cooked. For scallions, that will take only about 1 minute, for shallots or red onion, cook about 5 minutes, until the pieces become translucent but do not brown. Set it aside to cool.
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Whisk or lightly beat the eggs, dill, salt, and pepper. Add the matzo meal and mix lightly until combined. Then add the carbonated soda water and cooked scallions, shallots or red onion with the margarine and mix again.
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Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 6-24 hours. Then form into balls about 1 & 1/2 tablespoons each (about 1 oz/25 g), using wet hands to form the balls. Place them on a parchment or wax paper-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate if cooking within 1 day, or freeze for later use. (See notes below.)
Cooking the matzo balls
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Bring a large pot of water with about 1 tablespoon of salt to a rolling boil. Gently place the matzo balls in the boiling water, cover the pot, and cook until tender, anywhere from 1 hour (for just a few matzo balls) to 1 hour 10-15 minutes for a whole batch. If necessary to add water while the matzo balls are cooking, make sure it is boiling before adding it. (Cold or cool water would lower the temperature of the cooking liquid too much.)
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When the matzo balls are fully cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the boiling water. Serve them in either chicken soup or vegetable broth.
Recipe Notes
I tried using a whisk to mix the eggs, etc, then the matzo meal. While it works for the liquid mixture, once you add the matzo meal, the whisk is a pain. It's easier to start with a big fork.
If you're obsessive about keeping your matzo balls uniform in size, I made mine about 3/4 oz/24 g each. Once cooked, they roughly double in size and weight, taking on water from the boiling water they cook in. Although you could make larger matzo balls, these are a good size for serving 2 or 3 in a bowl of soup.
To freeze uncooked matzo balls, leave them on the cookie sheet until frozen. Then transfer to a closed container or quart freezer bag. If cooking frozen matzo balls, place them in boiling water directly from the freezer.