matzo ball soup

INGREDIENTS

• 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds chicken necks, backs and wings
• 3 celery ribs, cut into big chunks
• 3 carrots, scrubbed and cut into big chunks
• 2 parsnips, scrubbed and cut into big chunks
• 2 onions, unpeeled and quartered
• 1 head garlic, cut horizontally in half
• 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• 4 quarts cold water
• –and/or–
• Any vegetables you have stashed in your Stock Bag (described above)
• 1/2 cup matzo meal
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons reserved chicken fat or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chicken stock or seltzer (which both of our mothers swear by for making the balls extra light)
• 2 to 3 quarts prepared chicken stock (recipe above)
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• A few sprigs of dill