The soaking and salting of the bird is not a culinary step but one that ties the cook to his culture. It is part of the koshering process. (Skwire, however, does not keep a kosher kitchen.)

Serves 10-12

FOR THE SOUP:

1 (61/2-7 pound) roasting chicken

2 large carrots

1 large onion

1 large leek

1 bunch dill

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt

FOR THE EGG AND ONION SALAD:

4-6 large onions

8-10 eggs

Kosher salt

FOR THE MATZO BALLS:

4 eggs

¾ cup soup and fat

Kosher salt to taste

Matzo meal, as needed (about 1-2 cups)

1 package thin soup noodles (not used at Passover), optional

To make the soup, cut up the chicken, discarding the giblets. If you are not using a kosher chicken (which will have already been soaked and salted), soak the bird in cold water for ½ hour. Then drain, sprinkle with kosher salt, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain the juices, rinse off the salt, trim off the excess fat and skin. Set the skin and fat aside.

Fill an 8-quart pot with water, almost to the top. (You want as much soup as possible.) Bring the water to a boil. Add the chicken pieces to the pot. Boil rapidly for about 1 hour, skimming foam that rises to the surface of the soup constantly, and adding water whenever the water level lowers by an inch or so. When the foam is no longer rising, gradually turn the heat down to medium. Cover the pot, leaving the lid cracked for air.

Meanwhile, peel and trim the vegetables. Tie the dill and parsley together with white thread. Add the vegetables to the pot with the chicken after the boiling and skimming is finished, and the heat has been turned down, pushing the carrots, onion and leek down, and placing the herbs (“soup greens”) on top. Cover the pot, leaving the lid cracked. Simmer about 1½ more hours over medium heat, until you can easily cut through the chicken with a fork. Remove the pot from the heat. Let the soup sit on stove with a partially cracked lid until ready to reheat for dinner. If it will be out more than a couple of hours, refrigerate.

While the soup is cooking, enjoy a very Jewish cook’s treat: griven (also known as gribenes). Sauté the reserved chicken skin and fat in a skillet over low heat for 20-30 minutes until the skin (“griven”) is crispy and brown. Eat. Save the rendered chicken fat.

To make the Eggs and Onion Salad: Chop the onions and sauté them in a large skillet in the reserved rendered chicken fat – discard any extra fat or add vegetable oil if needed – until soft and turning light brown. As the onion is softening, hard boil the eggs. When the eggs have cooled, peel and chop them. Stir the sautéed onions into the eggs, adding salt to taste. Cover and chill the Egg and Onion Salad until ready to serve.

To make the matzo balls: Beat the eggs in a medium bowl with the soup and fat from the soup pot. Season with salt. Gradually add matzo meal until the mixture is thick and sticky and a little tough to work with. You should barely be able to form it into balls. Cover and refrigerate.

About 30 minutes before dinner time, bring the soup to a simmer, with the pot partially covered.

In another pot, bring water to a boil. Wet your fingers in a bowl of water to keep the prepared matzo mix from sticking to them, then form small balls – about the size of golf balls – from the mixture and drop them into the boiling water. You will have enough for 20-24 matzo balls. Bear in mind that the matzo balls will expand significantly as they cook. Boil covered for about 20 minutes. (If the liquid starts to boil over, you can crack the lid a little, but the water must remain at a hard boil.) Remove the pot from the heat but leave the matzo balls in the hot water.

If it’s not Passover and you are making noodles, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook them according to instructions on the package.

To serve, divide the noodles (if serving) among 10 to 12 soup bowls. Add 1 to 2 matzo balls to each bowl. Ladle broth into each bowl. After the soup course, remove the bundle of herbs and discard. Divvy up the chicken and vegetables from the soup pot to serve as a second course with the Egg and Onion Salad.