Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (125g) matzo meal
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) rendered chicken fat or vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) seltzer water
  • 1 tsp (6g) kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp (2g) black pepper
  • 2 tbsp (10g) fresh dill, finely minced
  • 3 lbs (1.4kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 3 stalks celery, sliced
  • 1 large yellow onion, halved with skin
  • 1 large parsnip, peeled and sliced
  • 1 leek, white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced
  • 1 bunch fresh dill and 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, tied
  • 12 cups (2.8L) cold filtered water
  • 2 tsp (12g) sea salt

Instructions:

  1. Place the chicken thighs, 12 cups of cold water, and 2 tsp of sea salt into your stockpot. Bring it to a very gentle simmer — never a rolling boil. Note: High heat emulsifies the fat and creates a cloudy, gray broth. As it warms, use a wide spoon to skim off any gray foam that rises to the surface.
  2. Add the onion (with skin), 4 sliced carrots, 3 stalks of celery, the sliced parsnip, and the cleaned leek. Drop in the tied bunches of dill and parsley. Note: Tying the herbs makes them easy to remove later so they don't turn into a mushy mess in your soup.
  3. While the broth simmers, whisk the 4 large eggs with 1/4 cup of chicken fat, 1/4 cup seltzer, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Fold in the 1 cup of matzo meal and 2 tbsp of minced dill until just combined. Over mixing at this stage leads to tough, rubbery balls.
  4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the matzo mixture for at least 30 minutes. Note: This allows the starch in the matzo meal to fully hydrate, preventing a dry, crumbly center.
  5. Wet your hands with cold water and roll the chilled mixture into balls about the size of a walnut (roughly 1 inch in diameter). They will double in size during cooking, so don't make them too big initially!
  6. Bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Drop the balls in gently. Cook for 30 minutes with the lid tightly closed. Do not peek! Note: Lifting the lid drops the temperature and prevents the balls from puffing up properly.
  7. After about 2.5 hours of simmering, remove the chicken thighs from the stockpot. Shred the meat once cool enough to touch, discarding bones and skin. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve to remove the spent vegetables and herbs.
  8. Return the clear broth to the pot and add back the shredded chicken and some fresh sliced carrots if desired. Taste for seasoning and add more sea salt if the flavors aren't popping yet.
  9. Place one or two matzo balls into each bowl using a slotted spoon. Ladle the hot broth and chicken over the top. Note: Storing the balls in the soup for long periods can make them overly soggy, so keep them separate if not eating immediately.