Chicken Soup With Wild Mushrooms And Herbed Matzo Balls

Recipe Ingredients

		Soup
1 tablespoon	15ml	Vegetable oil
1		Chicken - (abt 3 lbs) - cut into pieces
2		Onions - cut 1" pieces (large)
12 cups	2844ml	Water
3		Celery stalks - cut 1" pieces
3		Fresh parsley sprigs
2		Bay leaves
		Matzo Balls
1 oz	28g	Dried shiitake mushrooms
2 cups	474ml	Hot water
1/3 cup	20g / 0.7oz	Chicken fat
		= (reserved from stock or purchased)
4		Eggs (large)
2 tablespoons	30ml	Chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 tablespoons	22ml	Minced fresh tarragon
		= (or 1 1/2 tspns dried tarragon, crumbled
1 1/2 teaspoons	7.5ml	Salt
1/4 teaspoon	1.3ml	Freshly-ground black pepper
1 cup	237ml	Unsalted matzo meal
3 1/2		Water - (14 cups)
		To Finish
1 teaspoon	5ml	Minced fresh tarragon
		= (or 1/4 tspn dried tarragon, crumbled)
		Salt - to taste
		Freshly-ground black pepper - to taste
		Minced fresh chives - for garnish

Recipe Instructions

For Soup: Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onions and cook until brown, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Add 12 cups water, celery, parsley and bay leaves. Bring to boil, skimming surface.

Reduce heat and simmer gently until reduced to 8 cups, about 5 hours. Strain into bowl. Cover and refrigerate until fat solidifies on top. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead.) Remove fat form soup and reserve fat for matzo balls.

For Matzo Balls: Place shiitake mushrooms in small bowl. Pour 2 cups hot water over. Let soak until softened, about 30 minutes.

Melt 1/3 cup chicken fat and cool. Combine melted chicken fat, 1/4 cup shiitake soaking liquid (reserve remainder), eggs, 2 tablespoons chives, 1 1/2 tablespoons tarragon, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl and beat to blend. Mix in matzo meal. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover mushrooms in soaking liquid and refrigerate.)

Measure 3 1/2 quarts water into large pot. Salt generously and bring to boil. With dampened hands, form cold matzo meal mixture into 1-inch balls and add to boiling water. Cover and boil until matzo balls are cooked through and tender, about 40 minutes. (To test for doneness, remove 1 matzo ball and cut open.) Transfer matzo balls to plate, using slotted spoon. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate.)

To Finish: Drain mushrooms, reserving liquid. Thinly slice mushrooms, discarding stems. Combine remaining mushroom soaking liquid, mushrooms, chicken soup and 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon in heavy large saucepan and bring to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add matzo balls and simmer until heated through. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chives and serve.

This recipe yields 8 servings.

Source:
Bon Appetit, April 1991

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