How to make floater-style matzo balls for Passover from scratch using a few simple ingredients. Includes link to my favorite homemade chicken soup for matzo balls.
Prep time: PT15M
Cook time: PT60M
Total time: PT75M
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matzo ball recipe
- In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to stir together the matzo meal, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper.
- In another small mixing bowl, use another fork to mix together the eggs and schmaltz (or oil), stirring briskly to make sure they are well blended.
- Pour egg mixture into the dry ingredients, and add the minced dill or parsley. Mix all ingredients together with a fork until just combined. Do not over-mix.Put the bowl of matzo ball mixture into the refrigerator and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Bring your 5 quarts of chicken stock (or saffron water stock outlined in Notes section) to a boil over medium heat.While your broth or water is warming, form the chilled matzo ball mixture into 1-inch balls (roughly walnut-sized). Don't overwork the mixture when you roll the balls.
- When your broth or water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and drop the matzo balls gently into the liquid.
- Cover the pot with a lid and let the balls cook for 30-50 minutes until fluffy and soft. Keep the pot covered-- no peeking until at least 30 minutes have gone by! If you've followed instructions carefully, the balls should be floating on the surface of the water like billowy clouds of deliciousness. If they still seem dense or tight, they haven't cooked long enough. The should look soft and airy.
- Test for doneness by slicing a test matzo ball in half. It should look the same all the way through the center - tender, with no dark spot in the middle. If the middle is darker than the edges, it will need to simmer a little longer - it's not quite cooked yet. Don't be afraid to cook longer if it seems dense in the center, as it really won't be light and fluffy unless it is fully saturated with broth and cooked all the way to the center.
- If you're not using baking powder, you may want to use avocado or safflower oil instead of schmaltz. Both of these oils will yield a fluffy result, though they are not as flavorful as schmaltz. Schmaltz tends to make the matzo balls a little heavier, but it's really flavorful.Separate the egg whites from the yolks, putting the whites in one of the medium mixing bowls and the yolks in the small mixing bowl. Use a fork to stir together the egg yolks and oil (or schmaltz), stirring briskly to make sure they are well blended. Gently stir in 1/4 cup of bubbly unflavored seltzer.
- In the second medium mixing bowl, use a fork to mix together the matzo meal, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper.
- Pour egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients, and add the minced dill or parsley. Mix with a fork until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer to stiff peaks.
- Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter. Do not over-mix; you want the egg whites well integrated, but over-mixing will deflate them.Put the bowl of matzo ball mixture into the refrigerator and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Bring your 5 quarts of chicken stock (or saffron water stock outlined in Notes section) to a boil over medium heat.While your broth or water is warming, form the chilled matzo ball mixture into 1-inch balls (roughly walnut-sized). Don't overwork the mixture when you roll the balls.
- When your broth or water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and drop the matzo balls gently into the liquid.
- Cover the pot with a lid and let the balls cook for 30-50 minutes until fluffy and soft. Keep the pot covered-- no peeking until at least 30 minutes have gone by! If you've followed instructions carefully, the balls should be floating on the surface of the water like billowy clouds of deliciousness. If they seem dense, they need to cook longer. Note that after you open the lid the first time, the matzo balls may sink to the bottom of the pot. That doesn't mean you've failed to make floaters - it just happens when the lid comes off.
- Test for doneness by slicing a test matzo ball in half. It should look the same all the way through the center - tender, with no dark spot in the middle. If the middle is darker than the edges, it will need to simmer a little longer - it's not quite cooked yet. If you formed your balls any larger than the recommended size, you may need 10-15 minutes (or longer) than the suggested cooking time. Go by texture and doneness. It won't be light and fluffy unless it is fully saturated with broth and cooked all the way to the center.
- Serve two or three matzo balls per bowl with hot chicken soup ladled over them. If you don’t plan on serving the whole pot of soup at one sitting, make sure you remove the matzo balls from the broth and let them come to room temperature before storing them in a separate sealed container in the refrigerator. If left to sit in the broth, they'll become mushy.
- Once your matzo balls are fully cooked, line a baking sheet with wax paper or plastic wrap. Use a slotted spoon to remove the matzo balls from their cooking liquid and place them gently on the lined sheet. Let cool to room temperature.
- Place the matzo balls in the freezer and let them freeze until they are firm to the touch, around 2 hours or so. Once they are firm, you can place the matzo balls into a freezer bag (I use reusable silicone freezer bags).
- Label them with a label maker, if you want, so it will be easier to remember what you have on hand in future. They can be thawed and reheated directly in hot soup (or a pot of soup stock) just before serving.
- Additional Notes: You can cook matzo balls directly in your soup broth (which will give them excellent flavor), but it will soak up a lot of the yummy stock, leaving you with very little broth for serving.