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1
Rough chop 2 carrots, 3-4 ribs celery, and 1 onion, and place in a 4-6 quart stock pot or Dutch oven with chicken pieces. Add enough water to fill the cooking vessel to about an inch below the top. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for about 30 minutes.
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2
Remove chicken from stock pot with a slotted spoon, place in a metal container & put in freezer to cool quickly for about 10 minutes (stock should continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes).
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3
While chicken is cooling, prepare 1 package of matzo ball mix according to directions on the box - ours calls for 2 eggs and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Matzo dough will be sticky, so keep hands wet while you are forming your matzo balls, which should be no larger than a ping-pong ball. Matzo balls will get bigger as they cook.
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4
Remove chicken from freezer. Remove meat from bones, discarding the waste - fat, tendons, bones, skin, etc. (Note: in our house, this is the point that the dogs get VERY excited because they are spoiled rotten and get all the scraps - except the bones, of course.) Rough chop or shred the chicken meat and reserve.
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5
Strain stock and discard (in our case, compost) the rough-chopped veggies. Return strained stock to cooking pot & bring to boil. Add matzo balls to the boiling stock, then reduce heat to simmer & cook for 30 minutes. When they are done cooking, remove matzo balls with slotted spoon; cover and reserve. At this point, remove all liquid from your cooking pot & reserve.
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6
Add 1 Tablespoon of oil to now-empty cooking pot and turn heat to medium. Add garlic and saute for about 90 seconds. Add onion, carrot, celery, and season with salt and pepper. Saute until vegetables are translucent, 3-5 minutes.
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7
Add reserved stock plus 1 quart of prepared chicken broth to the sauteing vegetables and bring to boil. After it has boiled, simmer for about 30 minutes (liquid will reduce during this time).
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8
Finally, add reserved matzo balls, chicken meat, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to simmer until matzo balls are warmed through, about 10 minutes. Right before serving, check seasoning for the last time, adding any additional salt and pepper to taste.
