Ingredients for 5 liters of broth 1.5-2 kg good farmers' chicken, ideally with all giblets (it will be fatty, but necessary) 2 large carrots 2 parsley roots 2 medium onions (regular, not red!) 1 stalk of celery 150 g pumpkin 1 sweet pepper 1 tomato Herbs: bay leaf, thyme, parsley, celery leaves Salt
Ingredients for kneidelach 1.5 cups matzah meal 2 eggs Boiled chicken meat (from the broth) 1 clove of garlic 1 small onion Small bunch of parsley Salt and black pepper Optional: a little freshly grated nutmeg and a piece of fresh ginger, if you want to upgrade the classic
Cooking method
Broth: Peel and chop the carrots and pumpkin; chop celery, pepper, parsley root, and tomato into large chunks. Remove only the top layer of husk from the onions, wash well, cut into 4 slices, and add to the pan (the husks add a golden hue to the broth). Trim some fat from the chicken for the kneidelach, then place the chicken in a deep saucepan. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam that forms, then drain and rinse the chicken. Return the chicken to the pan, add the carrots, pumpkin, celery, onions, and parsley root, and cook over low heat for 2 hours, skimming off the foam. Add pepper, tomato, salt, and spices. Continue cooking for 40 minutes on the same heat setting. Allow the broth to cool overnight, strain in the morning, and remove the chicken.
Kneidelach: Finely chop the onion and fry in chicken fat until golden. Combine matzah meal, chopped chicken meat (optional), eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend until homogeneous. If needed, thin the mixture with a little heated broth. Add ginger and nutmeg if using. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the fried onions, and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Form the mixture into a kneidelach (about the size of a medium meatball). Heat the broth to a slight boil and add kneidelach. Once they float to the surface, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Serve the kneidelach in broth, garnished with finely chopped herbs to taste.