On Jan 20, 7:25 pm, "Virginia Tadrzynski" > wrote:
> Okay, I tampered with what was considered the status quo.
>
> I usually make chicken soup using packaged noodles. Today I decided to look
> up a recipe for 'Jewish Penicillin' since all and sundry seem to have come
> down with some sort of virus. The soup itself seemed to come out okay, as I
> added parsnips to the usual mix of veg I put in(that was the only real
> difference in recipes), but then came the matzo balls. I bought fresh matzo
> meal and used all the ingredients they told me to. I mixed, chilled,
> rolled, plopped in soup, covered and allowed to simmer for the required
> amount of time. Matzo balls are supposed to be heavenly, so light they
> float off the spoon. Why did they roll around in the bottom of the pot
> clanking together? I made matzo marbles. My daughter's observation was
> that 'gee, Mom, I guess you didn't channel your inner Jewish Mamma
> gene'..... We ended up picking out the marbles, cooking noodles and adding
> them to the soup stock.
>
> Any suggestions? I followed the directions as written. Any tried and true
> recipes of matzo balls?
>
> -ginny

The key difference is the ratio of matzo meal to liquid. More matzo
meal, heavier matzo balls, less meal, lighter balls.
I find that when you first mix the ingredients, it should be a thinner
consistency than hot cereal, more batter than dough. During the
resting time, they become more like hot cereal. Use wet hands to form
the balls. Keeps you from being covered in the batter.

Don't crowd them in the boiling water. I drop mine in one at a time,
and wait for them to rise before adding the next one. A bit more of a
patchke, but they always come out fluffy. Lower the water to a simmer
after they've all risen.

Part of why they fluff up is that they're absorbing water as they
boil. That's why you don't want to boil them in your chicken soup.
Some people add a little chicken soup powder/boullion to the batter
for flavor, but they are essentially dumplings, so if you like
flavorful dumplings, add, if you don't , dont.<G>

For numerous recipes, all tested by the contributors, try www.jewishfood-list.com
..

(Shameless plug for website I'm involved with, which is overseen by
Brian Mailman, for you long-time rfc'ers)

maxine in ri