Recipe for Chicken soup with knaidlach

Prep time: 30 mins & 1 hr to rest knaidlach

Cook time: 1 hr 40 mins

Serves six

Ingredients

1 chicken, medium to large

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

2 clove garlic, crushed

2 sprigs of dill, plus extra for garnish

small bunch of stalks parsley

1 bay leaf

2 strips of lemon zest

1 tsp black peppercorns

For the knaidlach:

4 eggs

175 ml sunflower oil

salt, and freshly ground black pepper

150 ml cold water

200 g Matzo meal

150 ml boiling water

To cook the knaidlach:
500 ml of water

500 ml chicken stock

Method

1. Put the chicken into a large saucepan with all the other soup ingredients. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. 

2. Skim off any scum that has risen to the surface and then carefully strain the liquid through a sieve or colander lined with muslin. It is important to do this slowly so that only the clear liquid goes through. Any of the cloudy chicken stock can be reserved to cook the Knaidlach. 

3. To make knaidlach, beat the eggs, oil, seasoning and water, then tip in enough matzah meal to make a thick mixture. Add the boiling water, mix well and leave to stand for at least an hour. 

4. Put some oil on a plate and roll the mixture into balls about the size of large walnuts. 

5. Bring the water and chicken stock to a rapid boil. Drop in the balls; lower the heat and simmer, half covered for about 30 minutes. Leave to cool, then remove from the stock. Re-heat separately and add to the soup when serving. Don't re-heat the balls in the chicken soup. 

6. When the chicken has cooled slightly, remove the meat from the bones, discarding the skin. Chop the meat into chunks. 

7. Put the chopped chicken into the soup and add the cooked dumplings, a couple of sprigs of dill and serve in nice big soup bowls.