Kneidelach

by Daniel Rogov

1/2 kg. matzah
2 cups chicken stock, hot
3 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper (or more to taste)

Break the matzah into small pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Pour over the chicken stock and steep for 5 minutes. Drain the matzah and squeeze out the liquids carefully. Add the remaining ingredients to the drained matzah and mix well.

Fill a large saucepan with lightly salted water and bring to the boil. Test the matzah dough by dropping a small ball into the boiling water. If the dough falls apart, add a small amount of matzah flour. Form the dough into balls about 3/4" (1 1/2 cm.) in diameter and then drop gently into the boiling water. When the balls rise to the surface reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain well and serve with the soup or the meat course.

Daniel Rogov is the restaurant and wine critic for the daily newspaper Ha'aretz. He is also the senior writer for Wine and Gourmet Magazine and contributes culinary and wine articles to newspapers in Europe and the United States.