Matzo Ball Soup

Trim off neck flap all the way up to the apex of the wishbone. Trim fat and skin from around the back cavity of the chicken; reserve both for schmaltz and grebenes. Cut chicken into quarters. Place in large pot with onions and cover with about 4 quarts water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 hours. Add carrots and celery; simmer an additional hour. Season to taste with salt. Remove chicken pieces and reserve them for another use, or shred the meat for the soup. Keep the chicken covered and at room temperature before shredding. Cut reserved skin and fat into 1-inch dice. Cook in heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally. Make sure the pan never gets so hot as to cause the rendered fat to smoke. When the grebenes are crisp and brown, remove them to a cutting board and drain schmaltz into a small nonplastic bowl to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, mince the grebenes finely. Blend fat (or oil) and eggs together. Mix matzo meal and salt together. Combine the two mixtures and mix well. Add soup stock or water; mix until uniform. Add 2 tablespoons of minced grebenes if desired. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Bring soup (you may wish to divide it into two pots if you're planning to make a lot of matzo balls) to a boil. Reduce flame and drop balls approximately 1 inch in diameter into the slightly boiling water. Cover pot and cook 30 to 40 minutes. Keep the pot covered! After the matzo balls are cooked, add the chopped dill and shredded chicken. Allow chicken to heat through - 2 minutes or so. Serve immediately. Recipe makes 8 medium matzo balls and 3 quarts of soup. You may wish to double the recipe for matzo balls.