Chicken soup with kneidlach

Ingredients:

Chicken

• 3 (2.3 kg) baked chickens
• 3 large onions, unpeeled and quartered
• 1 head of garlic, unpeeled and halved crosswise
• 6 unpeeled and halved carrots
• 4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into thirds
• 4 unpeeled and halved parsnips (optional)
• 20 sprigs of fresh parsley
• 15 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 20 sprigs of fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns

Soup

• 4 cups carrots, diced into 0.5 cm cubes
• 4 cups celery, diced into 0.5 cm cubes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Kneidlach (see recipe)

Kneidlach (dumplings)

• 4 medium-sized eggs, separated into whites and yolks
• 1/2 cup good chicken broth
• 1/4 cup rendered chicken fat
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tsp coarse salt, plus a little more for the egg whites
• 1 cup crushed matzo bread crumbs

Preparation:

1. In a 16-20-quart (16-20-quart) pot, place 3 roasted chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, black peppercorns, and salt. Add 7 quarts (7 liters) of water and bring to a boil.
   
   Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Remove 2 chickens and let cool slightly. Remove the breast meat. Return the remaining chicken and bones to the pot and continue simmering, uncovered, for another 3 hours.
   
   Strain the contents of the pan through a sieve and let cool. Skim off any fat from the surface, then reheat the broth as described below, or pack it into containers and freeze.
2. When serving soupReturn the broth to the pan and reheat, adding diced carrots, celery, dill, and parsley. Coarsely chop the reserved chicken breasts and add to the broth. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes to cook the vegetables and heat the chicken through. Season to taste and serve. You can also serve 2 warm kneidels per bowl.
   
   

   Kneidlach

   
   Combine the egg yolks, chicken broth, chicken fat, parsley, and salt. Add the matzo meal. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Add the matzo meal mixture and mix until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.
   
   Form golf ball-sized balls using two spoons, rolling them with your hands, or scooping them with a small ice cream scoop. Drop them into simmering chicken broth and cook, turning once, for 30 minutes, until cooked through and fluffy. Remove and serve hot with chicken soup.