Matzo Ball Treatise

The Matzo Ball, also known as Kneidlach, is an Ashkenazi tradition usually served during Passover in Chicken Soup. I think the combination is good any day of the year. Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews have adapted this Ashkenazi tradition using their respective ingredients. They also tweak their version of Chicken Soup to accompany the Matzo Balls (but that's another story).

This treatise is best started with a base recipe and expanded with hunts and tips to enhance the recipe. Based on the dozens of matzo ball recipes I've researched here is a base recipe. 

Make sure you read all the Notes after the recipe! 

THE BASE RECIPE

• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water 
• 1/4 cup (60ml) Schmaltz 
• 1 cup matzo meal (4 ounces 113g)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt use ¾ teaspoon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs with seltzer and schmaltz or oil. In a small bowl, stir together matzo meal with baking powder (if using), salt, and pepper. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly. Refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes until matzo absorbs all the liquid.

2. Bring liquid to a simmer over medium heat.

3. Using wet hands, and re-wetting hands as necessary, form matzo-ball mixture into 1-to 1 1/2-inch balls, and add to the pot of liquid. Make sure you have one extra for testing. When all matzo balls have been added, cover and simmer until matzo balls have expanded and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Cooked matzo balls can be kept warm in their broth until ready to serve.

4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer matzo balls to serving bowls (you should have at least 2-3 per bowl). Add soup.

Here’s some hints, tips, and food science to tweak your Ashkinazi matzo balls, or create Sephardic or Mizrahi matzo balls. 

(HINT 1) CHANGING QUANTITIES

Here's a “Secret” for increasing or decreasing the batter. The base recipe above  yield 10-15 balls. This will add about 3-4 more balls.

The “secret” formula:

For every ¼ cup of matzo meal use:

1 Large egg

1 Tbsp Liquid 

1 Tbsp Fat

¼ tsp Baking Powder (for Floaters only)

¼ tsp table salt

¼ tsp finely ground black

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp onion powder

(HINT 2) CONSISTENCY 

Are  your matzo balls floaters or sinkers? There are myriad theories on how to make them sink or float. The most significant revolve around the eggs, baking soda, seltzer, and fat. Sinkers are heavy and dense and drop to the bottom; floaters are light and fluffy and float on top. Virtually all floaters become sinkers as the air pockets responsible for the floating fill with liquid. The difference is in how long they float before they sink.

Joni Schocket likes the matzo meal to egg ratio. Others say  it's separating yolks and whites. Tori Avey is a proponent of using baking soda and Seltzer water. Others say it's one or the other. These are based on the same principle, the amount of air in the matzo ball. A third school of thought is based on the type and amount of fat. I think this is more important for flavor than it is for consistency.

In summary:

Floaters:  use seltzer water instead of water or broth in making the matzo balls. Add ½ teaspoon of baking powder. Reduce the amount of matzo meal by 25% per cup. Separate eggs and first mix yolks in your mixture then separately whip the whites slightly and fold into your mixture at the end.

In the Middle: use broth or water, but add ¾ teaspoon baking powder; or use seltzer water and don't use baking powder. Separate eggs.

Sinkers: No seltzer and no baking soda. Whole eggs.

(HINT 3) FAT

When we talk about fat we usually talk about smoke point, the temperature at which the fat begins to smoke. Since we're not cooking with the fat but using it as an ingredient, we're concerned about its effect on flavor and to a lesser extent texture. Fat does make a difference in taste, use schmaltz if you can. If you're going to use double fat, make sure it's a 50-50 mixture of noticable and mild or no flavor so you do not reduce the flavor profile.

Here's some good information on the level of flavor when choosing an alternative for Schmaltz.

Schmaltz - intense

Duck - noticeable

Goose - noticable 

Butter (Unsalted) - noticable 

Extra virgin olive - noticible 

Canola Oil - mild

Avocado - mild

Grapeseed - slight

Ghee - none

(NOTE 4) RESTING

Resting is good for people and matzo balls. Before making the balls let the mixture rest about an hour in the refrigerator to help it recover from mixing and let all the liquids be absorbed.

(NOTE 5) MAKING THE BALLS

About 1 inch, think walnut or golf ball. Should make 10-15 per 1 cup of matzo meal; make sure you have one extra for testing. Be gentle, don't overwork the mixture.

(HINT 6) SPICES

Traditional Ashkenazi Matzo Balls are flavored mildly with pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and dill or parsley. 

Sephardic and Mizrahi cuisines share a similar spice and herb palette, but each also has its uniquenesses. In addition, Mizrahi cuisines (yes, it is in of itself a Cuisine of Cuisines!) tends to have more spice blends and sauces. Mizrahi cuisine is also known for its use of scented waters. 

The most popular spices and herbs are:  

Sephardic (Iberian Peninsula)

Caraway

Cardamon

Cumin

Turmeric

Capers

Cilantro

Parsley 

Mizrahi (North Africa, Mideast, Asia)

Cinnamon

Cumin

Cardamom

Caraway

Cinnamon 

Ginger

Turmeric

Cilantro

Mint

Dill

Hyssop

Fenugreek

Rose Water

The recommended Sephardic spices and herbs for matzo balls include lemon, cilantro, and saffron. 

For Mizrahi they are cumin, sesame seeds, turmeric, and coriander. 

Depending on your soup recipe and the level of flavor you want,you can add these spices to your cooking liquid  or your matzo ball or both! 

For flavoring the balls, for every ½  cup of matzo meal use :

½ tsp of each added spice

¼  chopped Tbs of each added fresh herb 

Use less at first, and adjust. Don't over spice!

(HINT 7) COOKING 

Broth or Water? Either. Use a large pot so the balls have plenty of room. Make sure you cover the pot (it's okay to peek!) Bring the liquid to slow rolling boil.

For full flavor, simmer your matzo balls in chicken broth or stock. I like reduced sodium or sodium free store bought broth.This adds additional flavor. Of course, homemade works as well. Remove a test ball after a 30 minute rolling simmer, it should be the same color in the center. If not, simmer for 10 minutes longer.

(HINT 8) SERVING 

Place the matzo balls in the soup bowl and add the soup.

(HINT 9) STORING

Don't freeze. Store in a closed container for 3-5 days. Reheat in broth before serving.

(HINT 10) VARIATIONS

There are not as many variations of matzo balls as I thought there would be, but I did find a few I found interesting. Have fun with your leftovers!

-Stuffed with a protein before boiling

-Deep Fried

-Flying Saucers made by squishing down and pan frying

-Cinnamon Sugar coated and baked

-Savory Onion add lots of drained caramelized onions to the batter before boiling.