It's that time of year. The seasons are changing and I've got myself a cold, for which there is no better culinary cure than matzo ball soup.
I can make a pretty mean chicken stock, but my matzo balls leave something to be desired. The Manischewitz directions yield something to eat with a knife and fork. I've tried seltzer water, but it hardly seems to help, and I miss out on the goodness from the stock. How do I get my matzo balls to be light and fluffy?
The key to fluffy matzo balls is very simple. The density is directly related to the egg/matzo meal ratio. Too much matzo meal makes a golf ball. So, what you should do is add matzo meal according to whatever recipe you use less 1 or 2 tablespoons; mix and then add matzo meal a little at a time until you just "feel" the mixture change to a slightly stiffer mix. Ultimately, the mixture needs to be just thick enough to form a ball after refrigeration.
Then refrigerate for 30 minutes and make the balls and boil away.
The biggest problem with making matzo balls is that different matzo meals behave differently. Therefore a recipe with an exact amount may not work; therefore the need to adjust by "feel."
i'm no expert, but it sounds like you may be handling the balls too much (heh heh). try to compress them as little as possible. i usually refrigerate the batter before forming to help it stick together a little better without my hands touching them too much.
I actually like the dense ones better (I know, heresy to some), but I've seen a number of suggestions for how to make fluffy ones.
In addition to using seltzer, some people recommend:
Try any of these you need, and send the dense ones to me! (Why is it that you always end up making the ones you don't like? Mine always turn out too fluffy for my tastes.)
Everyone gave thoughtful and helpful answers, but when I went to get to cooking this weekend, I discovered that the problem I've been experiencing was actually another issue altogether. My problem was undercooking, plain and simple. I did incorporate Dani and ChernoffDad's techniques, and I can't say that they didn't help. However, the samples I tasted partway through cooking were not unlike my typical results. It was after extended cooking that these guys really softened up to my liking.
Follow the recipe, roll the refrigerated matzoh mixture with oiled hands and make SURE to boil for 45 minutes covered. Better if boiled in chicken stock.
