Chicken Soup with Fluffy Matzo Balls and Fresh Dill

What you need

• 1.6 kg (3 1/2 lb) whole chicken
• 3 l (3 quarts) cold water, enough to cover the chicken by 2.5 cm (1 in)
• 4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 2 leaves bay leaves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 small onion, peeled and halved
• 3 stalks celery, halved crosswise
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
• 3 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• kosher salt, about 1 tbsp for the broth and 1 1/2 tsp for the matzo balls, then to taste
• 4 large eggs
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) chicken fat, skimmed from the broth
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, only to make up the 60 ml of fat if the broth gives less
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) plain seltzer, or club soda
• 3 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped: 2 tbsp for the matzo balls, the rest for serving
• 120 g (1 cup) matzo meal

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Put the chicken in a pot that holds it snugly and add the cold water. Heat on high until it boils, then turn down to a gentle simmer.

2. 2

   Simmer for 15 min, skimming off the gray foam that rises with a ladle.

3. 3

   Add the garlic, bay, peppercorns, onion, celery, carrots, parsley and 1 tbsp of the salt. Simmer gently, uncovered, for about 1 1/4 hours, until the carrots are soft and the meat is tender but still holds together. The thickest part of the thigh should reach 74 °C (165 °F).

4. 4

   Skim 60 ml of the clear yellow fat from the surface into a bowl and let it cool slightly. If the broth gives less, top up with neutral oil.

5. 5

   In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the fat. Stir in the seltzer, 2 tbsp of the dill, the matzo meal and 1 1/2 tsp of the salt until just combined.

6. 6

   Cover the bowl and chill for at least 30 min, up to 2 hours, until the mixture is firm enough to roll.

7. 7

   Lift the chicken, carrots and celery out of the pot onto a tray and let them cool. Strain the broth through a sieve into a clean pot and bring it back to a gentle simmer.

8. 8

   Wet your hands and roll the chilled mixture into 16 balls about 3 cm (1 1/4 in) wide. They will roughly double in size as they cook.

9. 9

   Slip the balls into the simmering broth one at a time, put the lid on and keep the heat at a bare simmer for 30-40 min. Do not lift the lid. Cut one in half to check: it should be pale and fluffy all the way through, with no dense dark core.

10. 10

    While the balls cook, pull the chicken meat off the bones and chop it roughly. Discard the skin and bones. Slice the carrots and celery into 6 mm (1/4 in) pieces.

11. 11

    Return the chicken, carrots and celery to the broth for the last 5 min to warm through. Taste the broth and add salt as needed.

12. 12

    Ladle into warm bowls, 2-3 matzo balls each, taking care not to break them. Top with the remaining dill.

Imported from sauers.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.