Matzah Ball Pho

I wrote up my matzah ball pho recipe for The Nosher. Head over there to read the full article, and check out other great recipes :)

MATZAH BALL PHO

Ingredients

For the broth:

• 2 medium unpeeled yellow onions, halved
• 1 large 4”-5” piece of ginger, cut in half lengthwise
• 5 quarts cold water
• 1 4-5 lb. chicken, cut into parts
• ½ lb. chicken wings
• 2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 1 Tbsp rock sugar or Turbinado (raw) sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 1 tsp whole coriander seeds
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce or tamari
• 1 small white onion, thinly sliced
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced

For the matzah balls:

• 1 cup matzah meal
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• ¼ cup schmaltz or oil (vegetable or safflower)
• ¼ cup minced scallion

For the toppings:

• 1 large bunch of fresh Thai basil
• 2-3 limes cut into wedges
• 3 cups mung bean sprouts
• 2 Fresno chilies or jalapenos, sliced thin
• Hoisin sauce, to taste
• Sambal oelek (garlic chili sauce), to taste
• Sriracha, to taste

Directions

To make the broth:

1. Char your onions and ginger by either placing them on a baking sheet under a broiler for 8-10 minutes or by charring them over a gas flame on your stovetop for a few minutes on each side. The onions and ginger should be nicely charred but still firm — this essential step will deepen the broth’s flavor. Once the onions and ginger are charred, remove the skin from the onion. Rinse the onion and ginger, and use a small knife to scrape off excess charred bits to prevent your broth from getting murky.
2. Cut your chicken into parts, separating the breasts, legs, wings and backbone. This will ensure that your chicken cooks evenly and that the breasts will not become dry or tough when simmered.
3. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the cinnamon, anise and coriander until lightly browned and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the spices. Add the onion, ginger and chicken to a large pot. Fill the pot with 5 quarts of water. Bring the water to a simmer; skim the impurities as they rise to the top.
4. After 20 minutes of simmering, or once they’re cooked through, remove the chicken breasts and allow them to cool. Add the toasted spices, salt and sugar to the pot. Continue to gently simmer the mixture for 1 hour.
5. Remove the remaining chicken parts and strain the liquid through a fine meshed sieve. Bring the liquid back to a simmer for another 20-30 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by about a quarter. This step will further deepen the broth’s flavor.
6. While the broth is simmering, shred the chicken meat and reserve for serving. Once reduced, turn off the heat and add the fish sauce or tamari to the broth. Taste, and add additional seasoning if desired.

To make the matzah balls: 

1. While the soup is simmering, in a large bowl whisk together the matzah meal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add the beaten egg and schmaltz/oil. Add the scallions. Mix everything together until just combined. Do not over-mix.
2. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes, and up to a day.
3. Form the matzah ball mixture into even-sized balls. You can determine the size based on your preference, but know that they will double when cooked. It makes it easier to form the matzah balls if you rub a little oil on your hands beforehand.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Lower to a simmer and gently drop the matzah balls into simmering water. Place the lid on the pot and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Once cooked, matzah balls are best stored in their cooking liquid.

To serve the matzah ball pho:

1. Add the shredded chicken, raw sliced onion and scallions to a bowl. Ladle hot broth into the bowl. Add the matzah balls to the soup.
2. Serve along with basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, hoisin and hot sauces. Allow people to garnish and customize their pho to their liking.

Note about the recipe: Traditional Pho Ga calls for fish sauce in its broth. Fish sauce is made of fermented anchovies. Red Boat makes one that is certified kosher, but many who keep strictly kosher will not combine fish and meat in the same dish. To make this kosher, you can use tamari in lieu of fish sauce for extra umami flavor in the broth.

Preserved Lemons

Citrus season in California always seems never ending to me. In a good way. But there is a season, and that season peaks in winter, and spills into spring. The Meyer lemons are still around, but they're definitely on their way out. Before they go, I like to preserve a few jars.

Preserved lemons are some of the easiest of preserved foods to make. They involve little other than lemons, salt, and sanitized mason jars (just boil the jars totally submerged in water, lids off, for 10-12 minutes). You can flavor them with whatever spices you like - although I'm partial to the combination of black pepper, bay, and cinnamon. A friend gifted me a jar of lemons she preserved with fennel seed and pink pepper corn, which was lovely.

And then what do you do with them?

They're pungent, and borderline astringent. They're salty, acidic, and flavor-packed. A little goes a long way. But that little bitt adds notes of complexity. It makes you go: "what's in this?" It both highlights the essence of a lemon, and takes lemons to another otherworldly flavor.

I like to use them in homemade hummus (a la Joan Nathan's recipe in her new cookbook). They're beautiful in chicken dishes, and in tagine (they are a common North African ingredient). I also like to make a simple dip with thick plain yogurt, chopped fresh mint, and super finely chopped preserved lemon. 

This recipe works for any lemon, but lemons that are thin-skinned, like Meyer's, seem to work best. 

Preserved Lemons

Makes 1 pint jar

• 5-6 lemons, depending on their size
• Kosher salt, as needed
• 3-4 fresh bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon black or pink peppercorns
• Lemon juice, as needed
• 1 pint mason jar, sterilized

Quarter each lemon by slicing the top down within half an inch of the bottom, leaving them connected. Pack salt into the lemon then press it back into its original shape.

Fill the bottom of the mason jar with a layer of salt. Layer the salted lemons into the bottom of the jar. Top each layer with more salt, and squeeze lemon juice over each layer as well. Top each layer with bay leaf and peppercorn, and stick the cinnamon stick into the jar as you layer. Pack all of the lemons in tight and make sure everything is covered with a layer of salt and lemon juice.

Place the jar on your kitchen counter or in a pantry and shake the jar once a day for 30 days. After 30 days, the lemons are ready for use. Once opened, I prefer to keep my lemons in the fridge. They’ll keep for up to 1 year.

Before using the lemons, rinse each piece as needed to remove the excess salt.

Spring Chicken

Like so many good things, this dish was discovered as a result of throwing together whatever I had in the fridge into one pot and putting it into the oven. Since then, I've been cooking it on repeat.

It was a Sunday, I had two large leeks leftover from another meal sitting hopefully in the fridge. I had a pile of good sweet potatoes (yams) sitting in a bowl on my counter. I had a whole chicken waiting to be roasted. When everything came together and ended up on the table, we ate the first few perfect bites in total happy silence.

I can and have cooked chicken dozens of ways, but among my favorite preparations is putting the entire bird into a Dutch oven. You can make this recipe in a deep casserole dish or even in a roasting pan, but I can't guarantee the same success. There's just something that ceramic cast iron does to the bird: the meat stays tender, the skin gets perfectly browned, the flavors are somehow more pronounced. Yes, these pots are generally expensive. I have been lucky enough to have been gifted a few that I otherwise would not have been able to afford, but I also have a pot that I got years ago for $50 dollars at World Market and it's the one that I made this chicken in, and I continue to use this cheaper less sexy Dutch oven for countless other dishes. The point is, any cast iron pot will do. Even a plain lodge cast iron pot would be great. If you don't have one, this one time investment will last forever and will be a welcome addition to your kitchen.

This recipe can be modified endlessly. I like to use Japanese sweet potato alongside the beautiful orange variety. I like to throw in a shallot or two for a contrasting onion note. I would happily swap out sweet potatoes for carrots and parsnips, or plain good quality potatoes if I didn't have yams on hand. I sometimes use fresh rosemary, and sometimes I use fresh thyme. Sometimes I use both. I could get away with neither. You get the picture...

But in its best form, this dish is about leeks and sweet potatoes, leeks and sweet potatoes, and leeks and sweet potatoes. Cooked down with the chicken, the aromatic sweetness of the leeks marries with the floral sweetness of the potatoes in rich chicken drippings. The vegetables get very soft, the leeks become unrecognizable, and it all goes so well with perfectly cooked, deeply savory, crisped roast chicken.

All this glory comes together quickly and easily. Everything is thrown into one pot, everything is cooked at the same time, no extra sides are necessary (unless desired). This is a very happy Sunday night meal.

One Pot Roast Chicken with Leek and Sweet Potato

Serves 4-5

• 1 whole 5 lb. chicken, or you can use the same weight of just white or dark meat pieces (but you will want skin on bone in pieces)
• 3-4 medium sweet potatoes (1 lb./450g) (any variety or mix of varieties)
• 2 large whole weeks (1 lb./ 450g)
• 1 large shallot (3-4 oz / 90g)
• 4-5  large cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled
• 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• kosher salt, to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Hungarian parika, to taste (optional)
• Olive oil, to drizzle
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 cup water (or white wine or chicken stock if you have it)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cut the sweet potatoes into chunks that are no more than 1" in thickness. If the chunks are too thick they might not cook through. Trim the green tops off of of the leek. Use the white/light green part of the leeks by cutting them in half lengthwise, and then washing them well to remove all of the grit. Roughly chop or slice the leeks into half moons, their thickness is totally up to you. Halve the shallot lengthwise and cut it into half moons.

To a pot add the chopped sweet potato, leeks, shallot, smashed garlic, and whole springs of fresh Rosemary (the leaves will come off the stems as everything cooks. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Generously season the whole chicken with salt and pepper, inside and out. Top with paprika if using Drizzle the chicken generously with olive oil, and rub the oil all over the outside of the chicken.

Place the seasoned chicken into the pot on top of the sweet potato mixture.

Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the chicken. Add 1/2 a cup of liquid to the pot, drizzled all over the veg. The liquid will help cook the vegetables and keep everything from getting too dry.

Put the lid on the pot (if using a deep casserole dish or roasting pan, cover the dish/pan tightly with foil). Cook with the lid on for 45 minutes. Cook with the lid off for the rest of the cooking time, about 30 minutes - depending on the size of your chicken. You know the chicken is done when it is golden brown, the juices run clear when pierced, or when the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F when tested with a meat thermometer.

Once the chicken is cooked, let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. Carve, and serve the chicken with the cooked sweet potatoes and leeks.

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tart

Whether you're looking to make a substantial vegetarian dish for your Thanksgiving table, or whether you just love making savory tarts any time of year, this recipe is super easy, delicious, and endlessly modifiable.

Yes, it uses store bought puff pastry. In terms of pre-made things, puff pastry and phyllo dough are two of things I prefer to buy already made. They're complicated and time consuming pastry to make at home, and there are excellent versions of both at the market.

In the picture above I made the tart without egg and creme fraiche/sour cream. The egg and cream will bind the mushrooms a little better, but frankly, I didn't mind it with the mushrooms coming apart a bit. It tasted more mushroomy. If you do use the egg binder, then make sure you're mixture isn't too wet or your tart will get soggy.

If you're not a mushroom fan, you can take the same principles for making this tart, and make it with a combination of any other kind of filling: roasted squash and fennel, sautéed zucchini pepper and feta, potato leek... you get the idea. Basically, you want the filling to be mostly or partially cooked, so that you're really just putting the tart in the oven for the pastry's sake.

You can check out a video of this recipe on our Thanksgiving Pies series over at The Assembly Line . You can also follow us on Instagram or Facebook for weekly recipes and videos.

Mushroom Goat Cheese Tart

Makes one tart, serves 6-8

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots, sliced thin
• 1 lb. mushrooms, sliced thin (crimini, oyster, hen of the woods, chanterelles or
• whatever is available)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced fine
• splash of sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup sour cream (or creme fraiche)
• 1 medium egg
• ⅓ cup goat cheese, crumbled (or to taste)
• 2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed from stem
• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed and cold
• chopped chives, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large skillet, add the butter and olive oil. Add the sliced shallots to the butter and oil. Stir and let the shallots heat up for 2 minutes, until just fragrant and slightly softened. Add the mushrooms to the shallots, and cook until the mushrooms are softened and the moisture has evaporated, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and sherry vinegar to the pan and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and allow the mushrooms to fully cool.

In a small bowl combine the sour cream and egg until the egg is fully incorporated. Add the sour cream mixture to the cooled mushroom mixture in the bowl, stir until fully combined.

Roll out your puff pastry so that it is larger in size than a large dinner plate. Using the dinner plate upside down as a stencil, cut a circle out of the puff pastry. Using a smaller salad plate, gently score an inner circle inside of the larger puff pastry circle. Using a fork, gently poke the inner circle of the puff pastry.

To assemble the tart- Add the mushroom mixture to the inner circle of pastry. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mushrooms, any extra liquid can remain in the bowl. Top with goat cheese and thyme. Brush the outer edges of the pastry with egg wash.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is browned and fully cooked.  Once fully cooked, top with fresh chives. Serve warm or at room temperature.