The venerable matzo ball. The one food that perhaps best sums up all of Jewish cuisine in a spherical, dumpling-like shape. They can be soft, ethereal almost, just barely holding their shape in a globe of glutens. They can be hard, tense almost, pressed tautly into a sphere. Me, I like them to be somewhere in between. A 70-30 ratio, in favor of soft. The matzo ball should offer the slightest bit of resistance as you plunge your spoon into it. The center still chewy, doughy, and delectable.

There are many different recipes, even more preferences. Some people experiment with different spices (curry, I’ve read), others prefer a smattering of freshly torn herbs (parsley or dill are popular), and some still prefer an unadulterated matzo ball (perfectly white). I’m a bit of a purist, no outrageous spices, curry would be sacrilege, a bit of parsley, some chopped onion, this and that, and the perfect matzo ball can be had. In my opinion why mess with a good thing? If you have a matzo ball recipe that is close to being perfect, why try to make it something more or less than it is? I feel the same way about other traditional foods– Thanksgiving turkeys, potato latkes, meatloaf.

I have the ideal recipe, ideal by my standards mind you. And it’s not my mother’s, although it was given to her by a family friend. Mother Wofchuck’s Matzo Balls. Mother Wofchuck, a spritely old Jewish woman from the Bronx, who would come out to California once a year to celebrate Passover with her son (a friend of my parents) and his family. Everyone called her Mother Wofchuck, her daughter-in-law, my parents, and of course my sister and I. Calling her Mrs. Wofchuck just seemed too formal, and no one would have dreamed of addressing her by her first name, too personal, so Mother Wofchuck it was; and she made the most amazing matzo balls. Light and fluffy, loosely shaped, the perfect way to begin the Passover feast. I never really cared what the Wofchucks served at the Seder, just as long as Mother Wofchuck’s Matzo Balls would be an integral part.

In the 1970′s, I’ve been told, her Matzo Ball recipe made it into Sunset magazine. Just imagine, a squat woman with peroxided hair, hopping a plane from NY to San Francisco to busily cook in the Sunset magazine test kitchens until a faultless formulation was decided upon, and eventually published, for thousands of housewives to see.

After many matzo balls made and eaten in my lifetime, and many more tastings still to come, there are a few helpful hints I can impart to the Jewish dumpling novice. Do not, I repeat do not, compress the dough when making a matzo ball. By handling the dough as little as possible, making amorphous blobs, rather than perfect spheres, you will have a lovely, light matzo ball. It will look rustic, but well, if chicken soup isn’t rustic than I don’t know what is. The second word of advice, is actually just a recommendation. All matzo ball recipes call for the addition of some sort of fat, vegetable oil, shortening, or…schmaltz. And I say, for those of you with chutzpah, schmaltz it up. It’s just a bit of rendered chicken fat, and it will do wonders for your dumplings, making them chicken-y and delicious.

As for the chicken soup in which you submerge your matzo balls, that’s really up to you. Some people prefer just the matzo ball in a clear chicken broth, others prefer a more robust soup with chicken and vegetables. I use a combination of aromatics, with a smattering of freshly chopped dill. Make Mother Wofchuck proud.

Mother Wofchuck’s Matzo Balls

3 eggs, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons schmaltz, or melted shortening
3 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
dash pepper
3/4 cup matzo meal, unsalted
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons finely chopped parley
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

In a bowl combine eggs, fat, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Stir in the matzo meal, until blended. Add the water, parsley, and onions, and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. In a medium size soup pot, or dutch oven, bring water (approximately 2 quarts), and remaining salt to a boil. By rounded spoonful drop matzo meal mixture into boiling water. Matzo balls should be about 1 1/2-2 inches in diameter, they will plump additionally when you cook them. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. When matzo balls are ready, remove them with a slotted spoon, and add into heated chicken soup. Enjoy!