The Fed is renowned chef and restaurateur Al Brown’s take on an old-school New York Jewish delicatessen. Along with executive chef Kyle Street, Al has created a menu of classic American and Montreal comfort foods such as smoked brisket, rotisserie chicken, meatloaf and poutine. Some of the best sandwiches in town are made to order, and there’s a soda fountain and bottomless ‘joe’ on offer. See more recipes from Al here.
The Federal Delicatessen
86 Federal St, Auckland
Ingredients
Roast chicken consommé
Bagel meal 'matzo' balls
To serve
Method
1.Preheat your oven to 200°C fanbake. Peel and cut the vegetables into large chunks.
2.Place consommé ingredients, except water, in a large bowl and toss to coat in the oil. Roast on a baking tray until golden brown (20-30 minutes).
3.Place all the roasted consommé ingredients in a largish pot and cover with the water. Bring to a simmer and cook on very low for 4 hours.
4.Skim off and reserve the golden fat (schmaltz) if you’re feeling authentic. Strain liquid through a very fine sieve into a freezer container and check seasoning. You should have at least 1 litre of chicken consommé; freeze it overnight. Discard solids.
5.The next day, line a sieve with muslin or a clean tea towel and place over a large bowl. Place frozen stock in sieve and allow to defrost on the bench for a few hours.
6.For the ‘matzo’ balls, combine eggs and schmaltz in a small bowl. In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients. Make a well in the middle and mix in the egg and schmaltz.
7.Knead together until it thickens and toughens. Add the water and knead until soft and has a texture like play dough.
8.Tear dough into 10g balls and roll lightly in your hands until smooth. Poach in a covered pot of lightly simmering, seasoned soda water or tap water for 30 minutes. Drain and allow to cool on a tray until ready to serve.
9.In a large pot sweat off the carrot and celery in the schmaltz until slightly softened. Pour over the strained chicken consommé and add the ‘matzo’ balls. Bring to a simmer, add the chicken meat and bring back to a simmer for 2 minutes.
10.Divide the soup between four bowls, counting out the same number of balls per bowl to stop any fights. Top with some torn dill and a little drizzle of schmaltz.