Matzah Balls

[ruthla]

My daughter has been requesting matzah balls in the chicken soup on Shabbos (Jewish Sabbath, every Friday night and Saturday, but we only have the soup on Friday nights.)

The last time I made matzah balls I made them in a separate pot from the regular soup to avoid contaminating the big soup pot, but it was still a PITA and I was afraid of being accidentally contaminated anyway. Plus it was a lot of extra work when serving the soup, and I couldn't relax and enjoy the meal as much.

So I'm trying something new today. I'm making "rice matzah" and then later I'll crush that up and use my regular matzah ball recipe (2 eggs, chicken fat, matzah meal, spices) and cook in the big pot of soup.

So I mixed together rice flour and water and flattened out the dough onto a cookie sheet, then pricked it with a fork numerous times. Now I'm baking it.

I'll let you know how the matzah balls turn out.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Hi, Ruth,

I make gluten-free matzo balls all the time--they REALLy taste exactly like regular matzo balls! And I've always made them in a separate pot, anyway, not in the soup, but that's just because that's how my grandma always made them! I think the chicken fat is the key--again, that's how my grandma made them!

gluten-free--Matzo balls

4 TBSP chicken fat (save a little in a tub in the freezer every time you make

soup. You can also take chicken skin and/or fat from any raw or baked

rotisserie chicken, put it in a frying pan, and cook it til the fat renders out)

4 eggs

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup of your favorite gluten-free flour blend

3/4 dried potato flakes

seasoning of your choice--I like dill, parsley, garlic powder, and onion powder,

some people like ginger and nutmeg.

1. Blend eggs and chicken fat

2 add dry ingredients, mix well

3. Cover and let sit in fridge 20-30 minutes

4. fill a large pot of water and heat to boiling

5. Take mixture out of fridge and roll into ping-pong ball-size balls (NO

LARGER--they swell up like mad)It's much easier if you grease your hands well

with shortening or olive oil.

6. Drop into boiling water

7. Use long spoon to make sure none got stuck on the bottom

8. COVER POT, reduce heat to medium to medium-low, and cook for 35-40 minutes

9. Remove with slotted spoon

To freeze for later use, transfer to wax-paper lined cookie sheet, freeze until

hard, transfer to freezer bags.

THEY REALLY TASTE LIKE MATZO BALLS!

[jkmunchkin]

My daughter has been requesting matzah balls in the chicken soup on Shabbos (Jewish Sabbath, every Friday night and Saturday, but we only have the soup on Friday nights.)

The last time I made matzah balls I made them in a separate pot from the regular soup to avoid contaminating the big soup pot, but it was still a PITA and I was afraid of being accidentally contaminated anyway. Plus it was a lot of extra work when serving the soup, and I couldn't relax and enjoy the meal as much.

So I'm trying something new today. I'm making "rice matzah" and then later I'll crush that up and use my regular matzah ball recipe (2 eggs, chicken fat, matzah meal, spices) and cook in the big pot of soup.

So I mixed together rice flour and water and flattened out the dough onto a cookie sheet, then pricked it with a fork numerous times. Now I'm baking it.

I'll let you know how the matzah balls turn out.

You might want to try Fiddle Faddle's recipe, as Matzah Meal is not gluten-free.

[ruthla]

You might want to try Fiddle Faddle's recipe, as Matzah Meal is not gluten-free.

Regular matzah meal isn't gluten free, but homemade matza meal made from rice "matzah" and ground up is gluten free!

On Friday, I made "rice matzah" from rice flour and water (2 cups rice flour, 6oz water, spread out dough thinly onto 2 cookie sheets, prick with fork, and bake until dry and crumbly) then broke that up into matzah meal (VERY labor intensive!!) and used my regular matzah ball recipe (chicken fat, eggs, matzah meal, spices) to make matzah balls.

The texture was good but they were a bit bland, if I make this recipe again I'll add some salt to the rice flour before baking.

I think I'll pick up some potato flakes next time I'm shopping and try Fiddle-Faddle's recipe. It sounds easier to make.

So the "potato flakes" are the things sold as instant mashed potatoes? Or something else?

[Fiddle-Faddle]

So the "potato flakes" are the things sold as instant mashed potatoes? Or something else?

Yup! They also make awesome "breading" for chicken fingers and fish sticks. For some reason, Potato Buds brand seems to work best for the breading, but El Cheapo potato flakes work great for matzo balls!

[ruthla]

I tried to buy potato flakes today but I couldn't find any brands that were JUST dried potatoes; they all had weird chemical additives in them.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Yikes--I empty my box of potato flakes into a plastic bin, so I don't have ingredients to check out. But I'm guessing that I don't have anything special because I bought them either at the grocery store or at Costco, so I guess that means mine are full of chemicals, too. Probably sulfites, anyway. Wonder if Whole Foods has any?

I suppose you could grate potatoes in the food processor and dry them yourself in the oven? But that's almost as much as making your own matzo, isn't it? Sorry not to be able to be more help.

[Glutenfreefamily]

I tried to buy potato flakes today but I couldn't find any brands that were JUST dried potatoes; they all had weird chemical additives in them.

Try Barbara's potato flakes in the health food store. Tiny box, expensive price but they are all natural except a little sodium.

[ruthla]

Try Barbara's potato flakes in the health food store. Tiny box, expensive price but they are all natural except a little sodium.

Ok, thanks! I'll look for those next time I'm in a HFS or a supermarket with a HF section.

[momandgirls]

Just vouching for fiddle faddle's matzoh ball recipe - they're delicious - I cook them in the soup (the way my family does it) and it's perfect every time.