I did it! Finally. And they were GOOD. Being roughly speaking Church of England I have no idea if they tasted like Matzo Balls should (never seen one before, let alone cooked and eaten one) but I thought they were quite yummy. Charley agreed saying, “I’ll give ’em foive” like Janice Nichols. I was proud of myself. It was good timing too. I know it is Passover at the moment because I saw my chum Sarah asking if couscous was kosher on Facebook…
I made a fairly traditional Jewish chicken soup (with carrots, celery and dill) but cheated a bit by doing it in the slow cooker rather than in a massive pot bubbling away all day. I think, like Marilyn Monroe, I need to find a man with a mother who will make this soup for me properly. I can provide the Matzo Balls. There is a photo of them in all their glory here – before cooking.
I asked Charley to bring round some Marx Brothers for us to watch but he doesn’t have any on DVD. When we were together many moons ago there was a pivotal moment in our relationship when I went to bed halfway through “Duck Soup” as I wasn’t finding it funny at all. Perhaps now I am a grown up I would get it? I’ve certainly changed my mind about Laurel & Hardy in recent years so maybe it is time. As Groucho says:
“Well, Art is Art, isn’t it? Still, on the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now you tell me what you know.”
Good point Groucho, I know nothing! I have no idea what is going on!
Groucho Marx’s Matzo Balls
- 5 tea matzos
- 4 tablespoons melted chicken fat
- 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped / minced
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon chopped parsley
- 1 level teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Matzo meal
- Chicken broth to serve
Groucho Marx and Margaret Dumont in At the Circus (1939).
Soak tea matzos in cold water, and when soft, drain and squeeze dry. Brown onion in chicken fat and add to matzos. Then add the egg, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and stir until thoroughly blended. Add enough matzo meal to hold contents together and roll into balls about the size of the yolk of a hard boiled egg. Place in the ice box / refrigerator for three or four hours, and when ready to serve, drop into boiling water. When they come to the top of the water, let them boil for about two to three minutes and then remove. Add two or three balls as desired to each portion of chicken broth.
Note: I use approximately 1/3 cup matzo meal (about 50g) and allow the balls to cook at a rolling boil for around 30 minutes. This results in light and velvety matzo balls!
Well done! They are good, aren’t they?
Talking of duck soup, I am making some at the moment. Chicken man at the farmers’ market, normally a great source of chicken carcases for soup, only had duck carcases today so that’s what I’m doing. Smells divine. If I could be bothered, I’d make Groucho’s matzo balls as well.
Vx
Do it Viv, do it! You were the very first to test Groucho’s Matzo Balls and your advice and guidance was so wonderful. I am still craving Matzos with apricot jam and little dots of cheese as I write this! Big kiss – Jx
The recipe fits well. He is a Hebrew.