Matzo balls, the beloved Ashkenazi dumplings, need no introduction here.
This version, which I’ve seen first in Israel, is stuffed with another Ashkenazi staple, chopped liver.
Can you imagine the delight?
Chicken liver stuffed matzo balls
Course: Soups, AppetizersCuisine: Jewish, Ashkenazi, IsraeliDifficulty: Medium12
matzo balls30
minutes30
minutes1
hourMatzo balls are Ashkenazi dumplings made of ground matzah mixed with eggs, fat and water.
The version here is stuffed with chopped liver, which you can buy ready if you want the recipe to be much easier. Home made, though, is going to be much tastier.
INGREDIENTS
3 large eggs
6 tablespoons water
¼ cup schmaltz or mild flavor oil
1 cup matzo meal
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for the broth
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- For the chicken liver filling
½ lb. chicken liver
3 tablespoons chicken schmaltz or mild oil, like *corn or canola (*corn oil is kosher for Passover only for legume eaters)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- To cook
6 cups chicken broth to cook the matzo balls
DIRECTIONS
- To make the matzo balls mix eggs, water and oil in a medium bowl. Sprinkle all over with matzo meal, salt and pepper and mix to a sticky dough. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the chopped liver liver. Instructions below.
- Heat the chicken broth with 2 teaspoons salt in a wide and deep pan or a medium pot. Keep covered on low heat. You can add more boiling water to the pan if the water seem too shallow.
- Prepare a small bowl with water next to the stove. Have a rimmed baking sheet, the matzo ball mixture and the chopped liver next to you.
- Use your hands (or a 1 oz. Ice cream scoop) to make 10-12 matzo balls and arrange them on the baking sheet. Make sure the broth is at low simmer (you may want to increase the heat to medium.)
- Wet your hands in the water, use your thumb to make a well in the matzo ball and fill in with 1-2 teaspoons of chopped liver, then roll matzo ball back to ball shape and drop into the boiling broth. Keep the broth on low simmer at all times. Repeat with the rest of the matzo balls.
- Cook matzo balls for 30 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a hot chicken soup to serve
- To make the chicken liver filling
- Remove any connective tissue from liver. If you’re keeping kosher, prepare chicken liver according to instructions here.
- Melt schmaltz or oil in a large non stick pan over medium-high heat and sauté onions until golden-brown, about 8 minutes. You may need to reduce heat to medium after a few minutes, if the onion seems to get too brown too soon. Transfer onions to a bowl. Put pan back on medium-high heat.
- Now add chicken liver to the pan, sprinkle with salt and black pepper and sauté until it’s cooked on the outside and pink inside (if you have a thermometer, the liver should reach 165 F degrees.) Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Put liver and onions in a food processor and pulse to chop (you can also do it on a chopping board with a large knife.) Transfer to a bowl and add salt to taste.