Source: Chef Ellen Schwartz

As Passover weekend approaches, Chef Ellen Schwartz shows Houston restaurant journalist Cleverley Stone how to make Matzoh Ball Soup with Charosis, a traditional Jewish dish.

The recipe requires a two-day process; on the first day, the chicken soup is made while on the second day, the matzoh balls are made and the soup is finished. The soup and matzoh balls can be served with Charosis, a sweet spread.

The soup and matzoh balls serves between 6 and 8 people.

For more information about food, wine and dining in Houston, catch Cleverley’s radio show, Saturdays at Noon on KIKK – CNN 650 AM.(By the way, she gives out free restaurant gift certificates on every radio show!)

Ingredients for chicken soup

• Chicken fat or vegetable oil
• 4 pieces of chicken with bone and skin (use your favorite parts) or a whole cut up chicken
• 4 stalks of celery, chopped, including tops
• 4 peeled carrots, chopped
• 2 leeks, chopped
• 1 chopped onion
• Handful of Parsley sprigs
• Chicken bouillon granules
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt & cracked pepper
• Cheesecloth

Directions

Day 1: Making the chicken soup

1. In a large stock pot heat 1 tablespoon of oil.
2. Season & sear the chicken with skin & bones.
3. Sear on all sides & set aside.
4. Remove skin once chicken is cool enough to handle.
5. Sweat chopped onion and caramelize get it brown and fragrant. Don’t burn.
6. Deglaze (add water) the pot with 4 1/2 cups of water. Be sure to scrape any onion bits off bottom of pot.
7. Add chopped washed leeks, 2 peeled chopped carrots, 2 stalks of chopped celery (including leaves), a handful of parsley sprigs and all the chicken without skin.
8. Bring to a boil.
9. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
10. After 1 hour remove chicken from broth. Strain broth using strainer lined with cheese cloth to collect vegetables & residue.
11. Discard cheesecloth with residue & all vegetables.
12. Remove chicken meat from bones and chop up meat.
13. Put in the refrigerator.
14. Place broth in separate bowl and refrigerate.

Day 2: Make matzoh balls and finish the soup

1. Remove broth from refrigerator.
2. Remove hardened fat from top of broth.
3. Place broth back in washed stock pot.
4. Add to broth: 2 carrots, celery, leeks, parsley (all chopped)
5. Heat broth with all vegetables and add 1 cup of water.
6. Adding 3 tablespoons of chicken bouillon granules.
7. Continue to add more to bouillon to taste.
8. Cook soup COVERED for 15 mins until the carrots get tender
9. Add chopped chicken and matzoh balls to broth.
10. Cover and simmer until time to serve.
11. To serve: Garnish with chopped parsley.

(If using recipe for just chicken soup, omit adding matzoh balls.)

Matzo Balls

Ingredients

• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 ½ tablespoons of chicken fat or vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup of matzo meal (boxed mix is permissible)
• chicken stock liquid from soup from day before
• salt & pepper

Directions

1. Beat egg whites until stiff. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together: egg yolks, chicken fat or veg. oil, ½ tsp salt, ½ pepper.
3. Fold in egg yolk mixture to egg whites with a rubber spatula.
4. Mix in matzo meal, 2 tablespoons at a time, until thoroughly blended.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 1 hour.
6. Bring chicken soup (with vegetables & chicken) to simmer.
7. Remove matzoh mixture from refrigerator. Wash hands well. Wet hands and roll matzoh mixture into small balls (approx. 2 tablespoons each).
8. Drop balls into the simmering soup.
9. Cover & cook for 20 mins.
10. Serve soup.

Charosis

(pronounced: Ha-ro-sis)
A sweet spread used on matzoh bread

Ingredients

• 1 green apple per person
• Handful of chopped pecans
• Cinnamon
• Manischewitz, a Passover wine
• Matzoh bread (cracker-like flat bread)

Directions

1. Peel and chop green apples. Apples will turn brown when exposed to air, but this is acceptable in this dish.
2. Add chopped pecans
3. Sprinkle cinnamon to taste over apples & pecans.
4. Pour wine to moisten over the entire mix to your taste.
5. Spread on matzoh bread and serve.