matzo, matzo meal (ingredient) - Matzo is a symbolic cracker-like food that has origins in the Old Testament. When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they didn’t have time to leaven bread. The result is a dense cracker that we know and (kinda) love. Matzo is ground up into matzo meal to make matzo balls, providing the starch for the ball, and most of the body.
egg, chicken egg (ingredient) - Eggs are a crucial ingredient in the matzo balls because they bind all of the ingredients together. Without eggs, the matzo balls would completely fall apart. Their protein network coagulates when heated, providing a supportive structure and glue for all of the other ingredients. The yolk provide some nice richness and color, and the whites are mostly water and protein.
matzo balls (ingredient) - To learn more about the nuances of matzo balls, and variables tested side-by-side, check out Daniel Gritzer’s article matzo ball decision making. He discusses the tradeoffs of different decisions regarding matzo ball ingredients, cooking with the lid on vs. off, resting vs. not restings, and many other important variables. The detail I’m most interested in is why it takes so damn long to cook the matzo balls. I think the hydration and softening of the matzo takes the longest time. And I know matzo balls have a lot of air holes in them, which you’d think would result in a spongelike structure similar to bread. Boiling water would flow through the sponge network, cooking all of the egg. If they’re undercooked usually there is a dry and dense texture. My best guess is that the cooking liquid takes a long time to penetrate the matzo ball and hydrate the matzo enough to soften it.
baking powder (ingredient) - Baking powder is a mixture of a weak acid and base. When mixed with water the acid and base react, forming bubbles that lighten up the matzo ball mixture. They are not required, but if you want a lighter matzo ball, baking powder is a helpful ingredient.
schmaltz, vegetable oil, fat (ingredient) - Schmaltz is a flavorful powerhouse that gives the matzo ball a distinct chicken fat and onion flavor. If you can’t make or find schmaltz, you can go for a neutral vegetable oil like canola or avocado oil. Oil tenderizes the matzo ball by getting in the way of gluten proteins that would otherwise clump together and introduce a bit of toughness/bounciness to the matzo balls.
carrot (ingredient) - Carrots provide a natural sweetness to the broth, as well as a distinct aromatic taste. They hold their shape well even after cooking, and as a result are a part of the final bowl. Their orange hue contrasts well with the grassy green dill and yellow-beige broth.
parsnip (ingredient) - Parsnips also provide natural sweetness and a distinct, almost licorice-like aroma. During my research, I didn’t see many recipes with parsnips, but it’s a must-have for my mom’s recipe.
celery, celery seed (ingredient) - Celery is another aromatic ingredient that along with celery seeds introduces flavor to deepen the overall flavor profile of the soup. Celery seed has a more concentrated celery taste than the stalks.
onion (ingredient) - Onions have a distinctly savory flavor, and provide natural sweetness to the dish. This is a must have when making schmaltz as well. Frying onions in chicken fat releases the aromatic flavor compounds and imparts the onion taste into the oil.
mirepoix (concept) - Mirepoix is a combination of carrot, celery, and onion commonly found in stocks, sauces, and other dishes in French cooking. Mirepoix helps make up the base flavor for this soup. All three ingredients are highly aromatic, and also provide sweetness.
black peppercorn (ingredient) - Black peppercorns give a bit of depth to the broth, and act as a backdrop for other flavors. If you’re seasoning your matzo balls, you may also use white peppercorn if you want a consistently white color, but black peppercorn adds some contrast.
dill, dill seed (ingredient) - Dill has a uniquely fresh and grassy taste that brightens up the soup when. Dill seeds impart that dill flavor into the broth, while the fresh dill gives the bowl that fresh aroma and taste. It’s a great contrast to the rich chicken broth.
chicken, Vikon chicken (ingredient) - Chicken is the star of the show here in terms of flavor. The broth is the most important element to provide flavor to this dish, and chicken flavor runs through every other element of the dish. Rich chicken fat is in the matzo balls, while vegetables are cooked into the chicken broth. I used a Vikon chicken, which is a low fat, low weight chicken that is packed with chicken flavor. Most likely, you’ll find a broiler or other more standard chicken breed. They will contain more meat and more fat, so there will be more chicken fat to skim from the broth. It’s important to note that chicken broth without salt is nothing. You need to season properly to bring the flavor out.
moisture absorption (concept) - The matzo meal needs to absorb water to thicken. When the matzo balls cook, they also need to absorb a good amount of water in order to become tender and cook through. Matzo is very dry and requires time, water, and heat to hydrate.
fat rendering (concept) - Over time, fat in the chicken renders out (melts) and collects on the top of the stock. Later, we skim the chicken fat and use it in the matzo balls or to fry anything.
Comments
No posts