By James V. Ruocco
There's only one chicken matzo ball soup you'll find cooking on my stove top - and that's the one that my dead friend Madeline Gersh taught me to how to make (from scratch, that is) one night on the second floor of her E. 79th St. apartment in Manhattan surrounded by her husband Alvin and two daughters, Heide and Tammy.
Mind you, this is not just any recipe.
Madeline Gersh wouldn't stand for that.
She did things her way.
No arguments.
No special tricks.
No secrets.
No debates.
When she stood by her stove making her homemade chicken matzo ball soup, it was obvious to those present that it was prepared with love, care, essential nutrients and traditional Jewish values that made it extra special, always leaving you wanting more.
Today, of course, Madeline Gersh's treasured recipe is one steeped in the nostalgia, culinary tastes, precedents and the dinner-table chutzpah of its creator, a women who loved to cook, got the job done and then sat back to watch you enjoy and savor her delicious comfort food.
Then again, that was Madeline.
Her recipe, pulled from memory, is as follows:
Madeline Gersh's Homemade Chicken Matzo Ball Soup
Ingredients for Chicken Soup
1 whole chicken
Cold water
Chicken broth
Carrots
Onions
Celery
Kosher Salt
Black pepper
Directions:
Place chicken in the pot after a thorough washing. Remove any giblets or packaging from the cavity.
Fill pot with cold water until the chicken is covered by one or two inches of water. Place pot on medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Then, turn the heat down to medium-low to let the chicken simmer.
Add carrots, onion, celery, kosher salt and black pepper to the chicken stock and let things simmer until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
When the chicken is done, take it out of the pot and place it on a cutting board. Take the chicken meat off the bones and cut and shred it to your liking.
Clean the pot and place it back on the stove. Add the bite-size pieces of chicken, all the vegetables and the chicken broth of your choice. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat and then, let it simmer. Stir the mixture from time to time to make sure the taste is absolutely perfect. You can also add additional seasoning if you prefer.
Place the soup into bowls and you're ready to serve.
Ingredients for Matzo Balls
Matzo Meal
Eggs
Kosher Salt
Vegetable or canola oil
Baking powder
Water or seltzer
Dill or parsley (optional)
Directions:
Measure and mix all the dry ingredients (matzo meal, baking powder, kosher salt) and place them in a bowl.
In a second bowl, break and crack the eggs and gently stir with a fork or spoon. Add the oil and egg mixture into the matzo meal and stir. Do not over mix.
Place the mixture into the refrigerator for one hour.
Once the matzo ball mix has set, roll the batter into one or two inch balls. Drop them into a pot of boiling water and let them cook until they float to the top. Lower the temperate to simmer for about 30 minutes until they are fluffy and soft. Once they are done, drop them into the chicken soup and stir for about three to four minutes.
And voila, the soup is ready for serving.
This column is dedicated to my dear friend Madeline Gersh, who, anytime I was around her, always made me laugh and always brought a smile to my face.
"You're a character, Jimbo," she would always tell me.
