Truffled, Shiitake Matzo Ball Soup

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons rendered chicken fat, melted (schmaltz)
• 1/4 cup chicken stock, plus 2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon truffle oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup matzoh meal
• Shiitake gribenes, recipe follows

Directions

Mix together schmaltz, stock, truffle oil, salt, and eggs. Thoroughly mix in matzo meal. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Form into golf balls and stuff with a teaspoon of shiitake gribenes in the center, and cook, covered, in 2 quarts of boiling chicken stock for 20 minutes until light as a feather but also heavy as a cannon ball.

You may substitute duck or goose schmaltz (not ortelon schmaltz, it's too bony) You can use a little more salt, but it's not good for you.

Shiitake Gribenes:

• Skin from 4 chicken thighs
• 1 large onion, chopped in large chunks
• 2 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
• 2 ounces shiitake mushrooms, cut in chunks
• Salt and pepper

Saute chicken skin until fat exudes and lightly golden. Saute onion until deep golden brown. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Strain to separate solids from oil and reserve both. Saute mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of the oil in the pan until wilted.

Remove shiitakes and reserve for the matzoh balls. Nosh on the gribenes, shmeared on rye bread.