Traditional Chicken Soup With (Kosher) Bacon Schmaltz Matzo Balls

When it comes to Passover (AKA Pesach), most families have more traditions than Fiddler on the Roof.  I was all set to make you a super traditional matzo ball with homemade chicken schmaltz and gribenes.  I figured this was going to be an easy challenge to beat Rachel at.  How could a vegetarian gluten free dish beat (to quote Walter from The Big Lebowski) “…three thousand years of beautiful tradition, from Moses to Sandy Koufax”.  So I spent hours slowly rendering chicken skin to extract some liquid gold and produce crispy little chicken skin cracklings, and then…and then one of my kids spilled my schmaltz. All over the kitchen floor. Needless to say, I was not happy.

That is when I went in to problem solving mode.  What do I have in the house that is similar to schmaltz? That is where I completely broke with tradition and went to one of my favorite crutches, (kosher) bacon. Ask your Bubby, there ain’t nothing traditional about bacon. That being said, it does provide fat and crunch just like schmaltz and gribenes.

Let me know what you think of the recipe in the comments.  Also, let me know if you like my matzo ball soup or Rachel’s better.  You can find hers here: Minestrone Soup with Gluten-Free Matzah Balls

5 from 1 vote
Pho
Chicken Soup
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs
 

A classic kosher comfort dish.  It's good for what ails you, they don't call it Jewish penicillin for nothing. I don't like anything too fancy in my chicken soup so I stay away from things like zucchini and tomatoes, but if you like them feel free to add them, it won't hurt anything.  

One final note, your soup will never taste as good as your mother's for 2 reasons:

1. Memories are a strong force

2. She probably added some soup mix with MSG to give it that little something extra.

Course: Soup
Cuisine: Jewish
Servings: 1 Large Pot
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 4 Medium Carrots Peeled and cut into 1 inch rounds
  • 4 Ribs Celery Rinsed, tops and bottoms cut off and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 Large Sweet Potato Peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 Turnip Peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 Parsnip Peeled and cut into 1 inch rounds
  • 1 Onion Peeled and roughly chopped
  • Salt To taste
  • Pepper To taste
  • 1 Handful Dill
  • 1 Handful Parsley
  • 3 Bay Leaves
  • 4 Chicken Leg Quarters Remove and save the fat and skin to make schmaltz
Instructions
  1. Put all the ingredients in your largest pot and fill with enough water to cover everything, making sure not to fill too high in order to prevent it from boiling over.

  2. Cover the pot and put over high heat and bring to a boil.  Once the soup is at a boil remove the lid and turn the heat down to a simmer.

  3. Let the soup simmer for about four hours or until the soup reduces by about 15%.

  4. Remove chicken from the bones, adding the chicken back in to the soup and discarding the bones.  Serve within a week or freeze for up to six months. 

5 from 2 votes
Matzo Balls
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
 
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Jewish
Servings: 12 Small Matzo Balls
Ingredients
  • 1/2 Cup Matzo Meal
  • 2 tbsp Cold Chicken Stock
  • 2 tbsp Fat (Kosher) Bacon grease, chicken schmaltz, or vegetable oil
  • 1 Large Egg Beaten
  • 2 tbsp (Kosher) Bacon or Gribenes Chopped very fine
  • 2 quarts Chicken Stock For cooking the Matzo Balls
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients except the 2 quarts of chicken stock in a large mixing bowl, stir with a large wooden spoon, ideally one passed down from your Bubby, until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Put the mixture in the fridge for about an hour to hydrate.

  2. Roll out the matzo balls just slightly smaller than a golf ball and cook in chicken stock for about 5 minutes. Serve immediately or remove from liquid and freeze.

Lamb Bacon Chili Shakshuka With Quail Eggs

Before you ask, yes you can may this with any type of bacon and eggs, it does not need to be lamb bacon or quail eggs.  I happened to have some excellent lamb bacon from CWS Meats and I also managed to find a local small chain grocery store that regularly carries kosher quail eggs.  I figured a kosher bacon and egg change would be a great one for me and Rachel.

Lately it has been wet, cold and gray in Chicago so I was craving something warm and hearty.  As we are getting close to Passover I did not want to buy any new ingredients, so I rummaged through my fridge and came up with this shakshuka recipe.  Shakshuka is generally made by simmering vegetables in a tomato sauce, and then carefully adding whole eggs and cooking they until the whites are set and the yolks are just warmed through.  Chili peppers are often added to the sauce to give it a kick.

This recipe can easily be scaled up and down for more people, or for that matter the size of your pan.  This recipe comes out wonderfully in  cast iron skillet, but a saute pan or a large frying pan will work in a pinch.

Don’t forget to check out Rachel’s dish using the lamb bacon and quail eggs and let us know which you liked better in the comment.  Hers can be found here: Lamb Bacon French Fries topped with Quail Eggs and Chopped Parsley

5 from 1 vote
Lamb Bacon Chili Shakshuka With Quail Eggs
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Mexican
Servings: 4
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 6 Slices Lamb, Beef, or Pork Bacon Diced
  • 1/2 lb Ground Beef
  • 1 Medium Onion Diced
  • 6 Medium Mushrooms Sliced
  • 1 Each Red and Green Pepper Diced
  • 15 oz Can of Tomato Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • Slices of Pickled Jalapenos For garnish if you like it hot
  • Torilla Chips
Instructions
  1. Put a large saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon, keeping the fat in the pan.
  2. Add the ground beef and cook until completely browned. Remove the ground beef, again leaving the fat in the pan.
  3. Add the onions and cook until the start to brown. Add the peppers and mushrooms and cook until the also start to brown.
  4. Add the tomato sauce, cooked ground beef, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer.
  5. Carefully add the eggs one at a time, being careful not break the yolks. Let the eggs cook in the sauce until the whites are set and the yolks are warm.
  6. Sprinkle on the bacon and garnish with the jalapenos and tortilla chips. Serve immediately.

Lamb Bacon French Fries topped with Quail Eggs and Chopped Parsley

img_5187I must admit, I was a bit perplexed when I was given “lamb bacon” and “quail eggs”.  No, not because I didn’t know what to do with BACON, but because I had just too many ideas running through my head!  Do I go with a breakfast dish?  Snack?  Maybe even a dessert?  Hey, bacon and chocolate is a thing! :)

I’m not sure why, but my first instinct was to do French fries – fried in lamb bacon drippings.  Bit of an odd thing for a pescetarian to be daydreaming about, but hey, I was up for the challenge!  And I wanted the ingredients to shine, to use them in a pure state, not mask them with a ton of ingredients.

Here are some tidbits on this…

  • Don’t hesitate to experiment with the seasonings on the fries!  If you don’t like spicy, omit the chili lime seasoning!  Try a BBQ rub on the fries instead!  Or, just with the basics on this – you can’t go wrong!
  • The lamb bacon definitely had a smoky quality (though I have no idea what bacon of any kind tastes like), but if it’s not your thing, omit it!  You can top it with some seared skirt steak, or fried salami instead!  Or…even without the meat (dare I say that)?

Okay people, let’s DO THIS!

Don’t forget to check out Daniel’s lamb bacon and quail egg dish and let us know which you like better in the comments: Lamb Bacon Chili Shakshuka With Quail Eggs

5 from 1 vote
Lamb Bacon French Fries
Lamb Bacon French Fries topped with Quail Eggs and Chopped Parsley
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
 

A fun take on French fries, with some unexpected ingredients.

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Fries
Servings: 2 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 3-4 Yukon Gold Potatoes
  • 1/4 cup Chopped Lamb Bacon
  • 4 Fresh quail eggs
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp Chili Lime Seasoning
  • Drizzle Extra Virgin olive oil
  • Handful Freshly Chopped Parsley Optional
Instructions
  1. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and pre-heat in oven at 450F
  2. Slice the potatoes into French fry shape, or spears (any shape you want, really) 🙂
  3. Soak potatoes in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain well
  4. Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes and sprinkle the salt, pepper, chili lime seasoning and garlic powder. Mix well.
  5. Bake for 25 minutes until just turning golden brown
  6. Fry bacon in a hot skillet. Add the hot potatoes to the pan, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. You may need to do this in batches. Fry for a minute or two, just to crisp up the potatoes in the bacon drippings.
  7. Remove the bacon from the pan. Crack the eggs into the bacon grease and fry for 2 minutes, or until the whites are cooked through.
  8. Pile the fries on a large platter, top with the chopped (drained, preferably on a paper towel) lamb bacon, add the eggs (you can cut through the yolk to get some of the runny yolk, but keep in mind the yolks are small so you won't get as much runniness compared to a larger egg), and add the chopped parsley.
  9. Serve hot and devour!