RUSTIC MATZO BALLS

Makes 10 matzo balls

In the days before commercial matzo meal production, cooks used to make their own. Using our Make-at-Home Matzo, you can create your own incredible DIY matzo ball. These matzo balls are slightly more sinker than floater because of the heft of homemade matzo meal, but I like to think that they straddle the line. Schmaltz adds a lot of flavor, but the recipe also works with oil. If using oil, it’s best to use broth, not water, for additional depth. Fold in bits of chicken and parsley or carrot for flourish and texture. Serve matzo balls in a steaming bowl of chicken broth or vegetable broth.

1. In a food processor, pulse the whole matzos until a coarse matzo meal forms and you see a dusting of powder on the sides of the processor bowl. (You can also crush the matzos in a large zip-top bag with a meat tenderizer or hammer. This can be an especially helpful method with homemade matzo, which sometimes doesn’t grind well in the processor.) Each piece of matzo is equivalent to about 1 cup matzo meal, so you should have 3 cup crushed matzo. Combine this homemade matzo meal with the store-bought meal in a small bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, 3 teaspoon of the salt, the broth, and schmaltz or oil. Gently fold the matzo meal into the egg mixture, stirring well to combine, but don’t overmix. If desired, toss in some chopped parsley and bits of shredded chicken and vegetables. Cover with a plate or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. In a wide soup pot, heat the water with 11 tablespoons of the salt. Remove the bowl from the fridge and stir the matzo mixture so that the liquid in the bottom is integrated. Place a bowl of cold water nearby, and using clean, wet hands, form small balls of about 1 heaping tablespoon each from the matzo meal mixture (this will yield about 10 matzo balls total) and place them in the boiling water. They will expand as they cook. Cover and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes.
4. Serve the matzo balls in individual bowls of heated broth. If not serving immediately, the cooked balls may be refrigerated for up to 5 days and brought to room temperature before being placed into hot soup.

HERBED GEFILTE FISH

Serves 8-10

This recipe has a classic base, but we’ve added herbs to give it a taste of spring and a touch of color. There is also no matzo meal or bread crumbs in this recipe, giving it a lighter texture and removing any gluten. You have two options for how to cook and serve your gefilte fish. Poaching quenelles in a fish broth is a classic method used by generations of Jewish cooks, and baking the fish in a terrine is a quick and contemporary approach that will slice and plate beautifully. Liz and I both prefer the baked terrine, but you can find the classic recipe here.

1. Preheat the oven to 400oF. In a small bowl, mix together the ginger, honey, 1 tablespoon of the oil, the salt, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest to make a glaze. Set aside.
2. In a heavy-bottomed oven-safe skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down, and sear the pieces for 5 to 7 minutes until brown. Transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl, generously coat with the glaze, and set aside.
3. Add the onion to the pan and cook until it softens and becomes aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and prunes and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes, until the carrots are just beginning to soften, adding a pinch or two more salt and red pepper flakes. Add the water to the skillet, scraping up the bits of carrot, onion, and prune that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Place the chicken, skin side up, on top of the tsimmes, drizzling any glaze in the bowl over the chicken.
4. Place the skillet in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (the safe internal temperature for chicken is 165oF), its skin is crispy and browned, and the sauce looks thick and bubbly.
5. Serve the chicken with tsimmes and kasha or rice. Spoon over any pan juices and garnish with parsley.

CRISPY CHICKEN WITH TSIMMES

Serves 4

Liz: Tsimmes is a sweet Ashkenazi stew in which the ingredients vary depending on family origin and tradition. The dish is often eaten during the Jewish High Holidays to symbolically usher in a sweet new year. This sweet-and-savory chicken tsimmes is an easy dish with a built-in side. The juices of the chicken enhance the flavors of the carrots and prunes. It’s filling when paired with rice or kasha, and it’s colorful and complex enough to serve for the holidays.

1. Preheat the oven to 400oF. In a small bowl, mix together the ginger, honey, 1 tablespoon of the oil, the salt, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest to make a glaze. Set aside.
2. In a heavy-bottomed oven-safe skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down, and sear the pieces for 5 to 7 minutes until brown. Transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl, generously coat with the glaze, and set aside.
3. Add the onion to the pan and cook until it softens and becomes aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and prunes and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes, until the carrots are just beginning to soften, adding a pinch or two more salt and red pepper flakes. Add the water to the skillet, scraping up the bits of carrot, onion, and prune that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Place the chicken, skin side up, on top of the tsimmes, drizzling any glaze in the bowl over the chicken.
4. Place the skillet in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (the safe internal temperature for chicken is 165oF), its skin is crispy and browned, and the sauce looks thick and bubbly.
5. Serve the chicken with tsimmes and kasha or rice. Spoon over any pan juices and garnish with parsley.

CARROT CITRUS HORSERADISH RELISH

Makes 1 quart

Feel free to play with the ratio of carrots to horseradish for a milder or spicier final product. If you don’t have a food processor, don’t be deterred. You can make this recipe by finely chopping the carrots, grating the horseradish on the small or medium holes of a box grater, and mixing it all together in a large bowl with the other ingredients.

Ingredients:
1 pound carrots, halved
½ pound coarsely chopped peeled horseradish root
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
3¼ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt

1. Place the carrots in a saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to boil over high heat. Boil for about 5 minutes, until the carrots are cooked through but not soft. Drain the carrots, and place them in a food processor along with the horseradish pieces.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, and cold water and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
3. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt to the food processor bowl. With the motor running, slowly pour in the vinegar-sugar mixture. You do not want the mixture to be soupy, so add the liquid a bit at a time and stop at the point when the carrots and horseradish are fully coated, shiny, and moist. You may need to stop and stir a few times to ensure that the horseradish is fully ground. Run the processor until the horseradish and carrots are evenly ground and as fine as your processor can get them.
4. Transfer the horseradish to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Horseradish relish will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 months.

All photos by Lauren Volo (@laurenvolo)

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