Classic Matzo Ball Soup

Ingredients

• 1 (4 ½ pound) soup chicken, stewing hen, or roasting chicken, cut into quarters and rinsed
• 2 or 3 chicken necks or chicken feet, claws removed (optional)
• 4 large yellow onions (2 pounds), roughly chopped
• 8 celery stalks (1 pound), with leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 parsley root (½ pound) with top, cleaned and roughly chopped OR about 10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 7 to 8 carrots (1 ½ pounds), peeled and halved,
• 1 medium turnip (½ pound), peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 medium parsnip (½ pound), peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 small point of a star anise
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 6 sprigs fresh dill
• 1 recipe for vegetable garnish (below)
• 5 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons chicken schmaltz, melted and cooled
• 4 tablespoons hot chicken soup
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons matzo meal
• 6 cups chicken soup
• 3 medium carrots (½ pound), sliced ⅛ inch thick
• 1 medium turnip (½ pound), cut into ⅓ inch dice
• 2 celery stalks (¼ pound), cut crosswise into ¼ inch slices
• 5 sprigs fresh dill, chopped (1 ½ teaspoons)