If you were to assemble the greatest minds of Jewish cuisine and ask them one question, it should be: What makes the perfect matzo ball?
The answer always calls for much kvetching.
“Why does a simple little dumpling have so much controversy around it?” laments chef Jonathan Waxman of Rosa Mexicano. “Some like it hard, some like it soft, some like it small, some think it has to be an oval . . . oh my God, it’s insane!”
Everyone’s view of the matzo ball, the dumpling of Ashkenazi descent served in a broth (most notably during Passover, which starts Friday at sundown), is influenced by the soup they ate growing up.
Traditionally, a ball consists of eggs and chicken stock or fat (aka schmaltz) mixed with matzo meal — matzo crackers grated finely into a breadcrumb-like consistency. Add an onion here, some baking powder there — it’s all up to the chef, depending on whether they like ’em big or small, hard or soft, meaty or fluffy; a preference that’s practically been debated since the Jews left Egypt.
“When I first started doing a Passover Seder, I called my mother and said, ‘Help, I’m a classically trained European chef — how do I do matzo balls?’ ” says Mark Strausman, chef at Fred’s, home of the power-set Passover Seder.
And in a city of constantly evolving and shifting dining patterns, there’s even space for a haute matzo ball. “We do a Mexican interpretation,” says Joe Dobias of Joe Dough (who’s not himself Jewish). “It’s as if a Jewish grandmother got dumped off in Mexico and had to do with the ingredient pantry there.” (This ball comes in a marinara sauce with jalapeño and cilantro.)
In honor of Passover, The Post assembled the great minds of Jewish cuisine for their take on the city’s best balls (aside from the ones they make, of course).
Ken Friedman of the Spotted Pig and the Breslin
Best ball: Veselka, 144 Second Ave.
“Veselka is great. It’s my go-to place because it’s old-fashioned. Just like certain songs shouldn’t be covered because the original was so good, there are not many hipster foodie restaurants that can do an [original matzo ball] like Veselka. I’ve never had a great matzo ball soup without classic, large, light matzo balls, with bits of celery and globules of fat like theirs.”
DIY Secret: Mama Friedman used lots of garlic and onion. “Come to think of it, a lot of friends wouldn’t talk to us — maybe because we all smelled like onion and garlic!” says Friedman.
Gail Simmons of “Top Chef” and Food & Wine magazine
Best ball: Second Avenue
Deli, 162 E. 33rd St.
“It’s not just the noodles; its the flavor and light texture of the matzo ball, as well as the chicken broth itself, that I love so much. The broth tastes homemade, fresh and comforting…just as it’s supposed to: like chicken!”
DIY Secret: Fresh dill, and Streit’s kosher matzo ball mix. “My mother’s soup was always her own stock from scratch, but she swears by Streit’s! Whatever’s in it makes them the lightest, fluffiest ever,” says Simmons.
Jesse Schenker, Recette, 328 W. 12th St.
Best ball: Stage Deli, 834 Seventh Ave.
“It’s the heartiest bowl of matzo ball soup you can get in the city,” says Schenker, who considered it “the best late-night snack” when he worked at Midtown’s London Hotel. “Because Stage has been around so long, the recipes for their dishes are very traditional and authentic, like your grandmother would make.”
DIY Secret: Don’t overmix the batter. “When I was making it with my mother,” says Schenker, “we were working the matzo meal and the eggs. You don’t want to get the gluten too stiff if you overwork it. You want it to tend to lighter — not like a dense hockey puck.”
Eric Bromberg, Blue Ribbon, 97 Sullivan St.
Best ball: Second Avenue Deli
“We grew up eating deli matzo balls, so it brings me comfort. It’s a big matzo ball, slightly different than what we do (inset). Larger matzo balls tend to be light on the outside and dense in the middle, which we tend to avoid because the exterior breaks down before the interior [which is messy].”
DIY Secret: “Our grandmother, Martha Finkelstein, used three key ingredients: baking powder, seltzer (instead of water) and chicken schmaltz. The key is allowing the covered mixture to sit for a minimum of 45 minutes in a refrigerator before rolling them into balls and cooking them. If you make the mix and cook the matzo balls right away, they’re doomed to have a hard center,” explains Bromberg.
Julian Medina, Toloache, 251 W. 50th St.
Best ball: Second Avenue Deli
“Second Avenue Deli has a great traditional matzo ball — they’ve been making it for years. It’s nice and fluffy. I really enjoy it with the broth — and there’s plenty to eat from it. They’re big balls.”
DIY Secret: “Mix the eggs very well and add olive oil before letting them rest. When they’re in the broth, they get a little fluffier,” says Medina.
Zach Kutsher, Kutsher’s, 186 Franklin St.
Best ball: Blue Ribbon, 35 Downing St.
“I just think they have a good fluffy quality. It’s just a better bowl of soup than I’ve had elsewhere. It’s well-balanced. All the components work well together.”
DIY Secret: Kutsher’s homemade schmaltz is a combo of chicken feet and duck fat for an extra layer for flavor.