Fluffy matzo balls

Question

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?

Asked by Ray

Answer

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.

Answered by Ray

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Looking for Chicken & Dumplings pointers.

Question

A young lady I know has informed me that "Chicken & Dumplings" is amongst her favorite dishes. I have only attempted this a few times with only marginal success. Mostly my dumplings end up too bland and too loose. I have tried both of Alton Brown's recipes and (sorry Alton, I'm sure it is my fault and not your mothers') I am still not happy with the results.

I would greatly appreciate any sage advise from the readers here.

Answer

I'm not sure about the texture (looseness), especially since those are two different methods. My best guess would be that it's just a flour measurement thing - moisture content in flour can vary, so the best thing to do is look for hints in the recipe about the desired texture (like "It should tear slightly as it falls from the beater"), and increase or decrease the flour to match.

The primary flavors here are salt and chicken, so first just check the amount of salt in both dumplings and broth. For the chicken, you're getting all the flavor out of it by making broth. So make sure you used enough chicken (and not too much water), and that you cooked it long enough. Those recipes use a pressure cooker - if you don't have one, it takes way longer to cook, of course.

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