Steps
- Put 1.8kg of whole chicken and 20 cups of water in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Lower to a steady simmer and skim off the foam for 10-15 minutes, replacing the skimmed liquid with hot water.
- Add half of 900g of celery in large pieces, 1 yellow onion, halved but unpeeled, 55g of fresh parsley, most of 45g of fresh dill, 2 teaspoons of black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, and 1 tablespoon of sea salt.
- Simmer gently for about 1½ hours. Meanwhile, for the matzo balls, mix 1 cup of matzo meal, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon of onion powder.
- Beat 4 large eggs with ¼ cup of melted schmaltz (chicken fat). Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- When the chicken is tender, lift it out and let it and the broth cool for 20-30 minutes. Strain the broth, discard the solids, and return the broth to the pot.
- Bring the broth back to a simmer and roll the matzo mixture into 1in / 2.5cm balls. Drop them in, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Add the remaining celery, sliced, and 450g of sliced carrots. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and a halved matzo ball is no darker in the center than at the edges.
- Pull the chicken meat into bite-size pieces, discarding the skin and bones. Stir it into the soup with the remaining dill, chopped, and simmer for 2 minutes. Season with salt.