Recipe: Matzo Balls

Makes 16 balls

4 eggs

1/2 cup chicken broth or water

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley

1 cup matzo meal

1. Whisk the eggs, broth, oil, salt, pepper and parsley in a medium bowl until well combined. Whisk in matzo meal until smooth. Cover and refrigerate dough until firm, about 1 hour.

2. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large pot; reduce to a simmer. With moistened palms, using about 2 tablespoons dough for each, form 1-½-inch matzo balls; you will have about 16.

3. Drop balls one at a time into the water, bring it back to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 40 minutes, until the matzo balls are tender. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and serve as desired in soup.

Note: To serve, place one or two matzo balls in each bowl, add hot chicken broth (and cooked carrot or celery if you wish) and garnish with fresh parsley or dill.

From Carole Kotkin, manager of The Cooking School at Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla.