Delicious Old Style Gefilte Fish Recipes

Steps:

• PREPARATION:.
• Have the fish store person fillet the fish and save the head, bones and skin for the fish stock. Remove the skin and bones from the fish steaks as well and save; Also, remove any small bones which might still be embedded in the meat (use a small pair of pliers); Prepare "Prep #1" first and then follow cooking Instructions #10 & #11; After the fish stock is simmering on the stove top do preparation "Prep #2 to #6" as noted below.
• Prep #1) FISH STOCK - If using whole carrots, cut 1 carrot up into small pieces (if not you will be using the baby carrots); Cut 1 of the celery stalks into small pieces; Use 2 of the onions and remove the first brown dirty skin layer and discard; Cut up these onions into smaller pieces and with the brown skin layer (add a few more brown skins from other onions).
• Prep #2) FISH MIXTURE - Cut all the fish meat up into small pieces and then chop finely or grind coarsely in a food processor. Grade coarsely; 5 oz baby carrots (or 1 whole carrot), 1 onion (with the skin removed) and 1 celery stalk.
• Prep #3) FISH PATTIES - Add into a very large bowl the coarsely ground Fish Mixture (meat and vegetables); Add 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon pepper; Make a well in the center and add the eggs and matzo meal; Next mix thoroughly all the ingredients and at the same time try to retain some of the coarseness of the fish, don't mash it up to much(tiny chunks of fish is all right in the finished fish patty).
• Prep #4) Slice lengthwise in half 5 oz of the baby carrots and set aside, which will be added during the last half hour of cooking (or cut up into thin rounds the third carrot).
• Prep #5) FISH PATTY FORMING (prepare after stock is filtered thru a sieve and simmering on the stove top) - Moisten your hands in some cold water and form the fish patties into oval shapes about 3 inches long; Place the patties on one or two big plate; You should be able to make about 20-22 patties (which will be placed into the simmering fish stock).
• Prep #6) Wash the parsley and set aside.
• COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:.
• FISH STOCK - Add 2 quarts of water to a very large pot; Add the reserved/saved fish head, bones and skin; Add 5 oz of baby carrots (or 1 carrot cut up), 1 cut up celery stalk and 2 cut up onions and skins; Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon pepper.
• Bring the stock to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Remove all scum which rises to the top and discard; Let simmer on low heat for about 45 to 60 minutes, uncovered.
• Next pour/filter the fish stock through a sieve and retain the stock. Discard the bones, skins and vegetables. Then place the retained stock back into the pot and bring to a low simmer once again.
• Place each Fish Patty one-by-one into the pot, making sure the patties do not break up. Retain a low simmer and shake the pot to prevent the patties from sticking to each other (use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula as needed); Cover and cook for 1 hour on a low heat; Occasionally check to remove scum and turn some of the top patties over as may be required.
• Next remove the cover, add 5 oz of the baby carrots (or 1 carrot cut up into thin rounds); Turn a few patties on the top to keep them moist and under the liquid, remove scum and spoon some liquid over patties as needed; Cook for another 1/2 hours.
• Again, making sure you do not break up the patties.
• Remove the patties and carrots with a slotted spoon and place on a serving plate or in an aluminum foil pan; Place one carrot on top of each fish patty.
• Next pour/filter the fish stock through a sieve and retain the stock. Discard any by-products. Return the stock to the stove top and on medium heat reduce to about 2 cups of stock. Pour some of the stock over the fish in the plate or pan and cover using plastic wrap. Pour some extra stock into a plastic container and with a cover.
• Place the Gefilte Fish and extra stock in the refrigerator to cool for several hour or more.
• Serve the Gefilte Fish at room temperature on individual plates; Garnish each plate with a little parsley and some of the jelled fish stock on the side of the patty.
• Serve with red and white horseradish, enjoy --.
• .
• NOTES:.
• A) Check out my Aunt Zelma's Gefilte Fish which uses salmon and tastes sweet, by going to the following url;.
• Gefilte Fish by Eileen Mintz, at.
• http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Gefilte-Fish/Detail.aspx .
• B) Here are some more photos showing step-by-step how Gefilte Fish is made --.
• http://www.zenreich.com/ZenWeb/gefilte.htm .
• May 2010; I made a variation on this recipe, Salmon-Tilapia Gefilte Fish (see photos) -- You can easily modify this recipe accordingly by using Salmon and Tilapia fish.

Steps:

• 1. Place the reserved bones, skin, and fish heads in a wide, very large saucepan with a cover. Add the water and 2 teaspoons of the salt and bring to a boil. Remove the foam that accumulates.
• 2. Slice 1 onion in rounds and add along with 3 of the carrots. Add the sugar and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes while the fish mixture is being prepared.
• 3. Place the ground fish in a bowl. In a food processor finely chop the remaining onions, the remaining carrot, and the parsnip; or mince them by hand. Add the chopped vegetables to the ground fish.
• 4. Add the eggs, one at a time, the remaining teaspoon of salt, pepper, and the cold water, and mix thoroughly. Stir in enough matzah meal to make a light, soft mixture into oval shapes, about 3 inches long. Take the last fish head and stuff the cavity with the ground fish mixture.
• 5. Remove from the saucepan the onions, skins, head, and bones and return the stock to a simmer. Gently place the fish patties in the simmering fish stock. Cover loosely and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste the liquid while the fish is cooking and add seasoning to taste. Shake the pot periodically so the fish patties won't stick. When gefilte fish is cooked, remove from the water and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
• 6. Using a slotted spoon carefully remove the gefilte fish and arrange on a platter. Strain some of the stock over the fish, saving the rest in a bowl.
• 7. Slice the cooked carrots into rounds cut on a diagonal about 1/4 inch thick. Place a carrot round on top of each gefilte fish patty. Put the fish head in the center and decorate the eyes with carrots. Chill until ready to serve. Serve with a sprig of parsley and horseradish.

Steps:

• Fill a large, wide pot with 10 cups of water and place over high heat. While bringing to a boil, coarsely chop and add to the pot 1 onion, 1 celery stalk, 1 carrot and the fennel bulb. Add the peppercorns and 1 teaspoon salt. Once water is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, while preparing the fish.
• Coarsely chop the remaining onion, celery stalk and 1 carrot, then pulse in a food processor until finely chopped. Add fish, chives and 2 tablespoons parsley, tarragon and/or dill, and keep pulsing until fish is chopped but not mushy.
• Move the fish mixture to a medium bowl and add eggs, oil, matzo meal, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or more to taste) and the ground black pepper, and mix well with your hands.
• Put your hands in a bowl of cold water. Using your hands, mold the fish mixture into a 3- by 2-inch oval patty (about 2 ounces) and gently place on a platter. Repeat with the remaining fish mixture, dipping your hands in water as needed.
• Pop the third carrot into the simmering broth and gently add the patties to the pot. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes until patties are firm.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the fish and carrot from the poaching liquid to cool on a plate. Slice the carrot diagonally into thin rounds.
• Place each patty on a leaf of radicchio or endive or both. Set the sliced carrot rounds on top of each patty. Garnish with the remaining tablespoon of fresh herbs and serve warm or at room temperature with horseradish, preferably homemade. If making a day ahead, refrigerate, covered, then return the patties to room temperature before serving.

Steps:

• grind the salmon, whitefish, carrots and onion in a food processor.
• put in a bowl and mix in 3 eggs and 1c matzoh meal, salt& pepper.
• put remaining matzoh meal on a plate.
• beat 2 eggs in a bowl.
• put some oil on your hands,.
• form the fish mixture into patties, dip in egg, then matzoh meal to coat, set aside pour some oil into a skillet heat to medium, cook patties in batches until brown on both sides, adding more oil as needed serve on fresh greens with horseradish.

Steps:

• Cover the fish scraps, in a large pot with water-- about 4 inches above the scraps.
• add apprx 1/3 onions, bring to a boil & reduce heat, cook for 45 minutes, Strain out the fish scraps.
• If you have a food processor that's good- put in the raw fish filets and remaining onions, go on-off until coarsely chopped, don't overdo it.
• Add eggs lightly beaten, a bit at a time & go on after each addition.
• Add Matzo meal and 1/2 cup of water.
• Process, the mixture should be light, smooth and the consistency almost fluffy If it looks too dry add a little more water- just a bit at a time.
• Season well with salt & pepper.
• Drop the carrots into the fish stock.
• Wet your hands and shape the fish mixture into oval balls like an egg and gently lower them into the simmering stock, put them all in the pot.
• They are happy being crowded in.
• Cover the pot and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
• Let the fish balls cool in the liquid when cooled remove fish balls & carrots to a platter.
• Reduce stock to about 2 cups.
• Strain stock over the fish balls cover and refrigerate.
• Remove Fishballs 30 minutes before serving from the fridger.
• Serve with some of the fish jelly a carrot piece and plenty of horseradish.

Steps:

• Mix together fish, onions, eggs, salt, sugar, pepper until very thoroughly blended.
• If you are my mother, or not as squeemish as her daughter, you taste it at this point (yes, raw) and adjust seasonings to taste. If you are me, you just pray that it is well-seasoned and move on.
• Add matzo meal slowly, mixing very very well, until it is almost thick enough to shape into balls, but just a bit softer. (How's that for imprecise?).
• Cover the bowl, and refrigerate for at least one hour, or even overnight.
• At this point, you can shape the mixture into balls or loaves and freeze for future use, but no one ever does because deferring this gratification for that long is just impossible.
• Make the broth: In a large soup pot, mix the broth ingredients.
• Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 30 minutes or so. It should be sort of golden in color. Taste to adjust seasoning. The broth should be sweet and a little salty.
• Form the fish mixture into balls, cylinders, loaves -- whatever.
• Add to broth, bring to a boil again, and then lower to a very slow boil for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Cool. Eat. Enjoy.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 2. Pour the olive oil into the bottom of a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Add the paprika, parsley, 1 pinch of the allspice, the salt, and pepper. Roll the frozen loaf in the oil and spices to coat. Remove the loaf from the pan, arrange the onion on the bottom of the pan, and place the loaf on top of the onion. Sprinkle with the garlic and the remaining 1 pinch allspice. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Bake, covered, for 2 hours.
• 3. Cool the gefilte fish completely, then place it in a resealable container and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve cold, sliced and topped with the onions.

Steps:

• Defrost gefilte fish loaf just enough so you are able to unwrap it. Unwrap and place in 9 x 13 pan.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Heat oil in skillet. Fry onion until soft and then add peppers and continuing frying until everything is tender.
• Add ketchup, garlic powder and black pepper.
• Stir well.
• Pour pepper mixture over gefilte fish loaf. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.
• Serve warm or cold!

Steps:

• Grind the fish, but not too finely. In a food processor it should be done in two batches, about 24 pulses each. Mix the fish with the onion, garlic, parsley, matzoh meal, lemon juice, wine or water and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Do not underseason. The best way to check the seasonings is to poach a small amount of the mixture in simmering water and taste.
• For the stock, place the fish bones and heads in a stockpot. Cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Boil about 5 minutes, skimming constantly. Lower heat to a simmer.
• Add the remaining stock ingredients except the salt, and simmer gently about 1 1/2 hours, adding additional water as needed to keep the ingredients covered. Strain through a very fine strainer. Season with salt.
• Pour the stock into a large shallow saucepan. Add the carrots, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the carrots, slice them and refrigerate. Add enough water to the stock so the liquid is about 3 inches deep. Bring to a simmer.
• Keeping your hands wet with cold water, form the fish mixture into oval patties about 3 inches long. Slip as many as will fit comfortably into the pan, and poach for 30 minutes. Remove and drain them, and continue poaching the rest. When all the fish is cooked, transfer it to a bowl or serving dish, scatter the carrot slices over it and refrigerate.
• Boil down the cooking liquid until it is reduced to about 3 cups. Strain through a fine strainer. Spoon some over the cooled fish. Refrigerate the rest. It should jell. Skim the surface.
• Serve the fish cold with horseradish and jellied broth on the side.

Steps:

• Grind the fish, 2 1/2 onions and 4 carrots together. Place fish mixture in a wooden bowl. Using a hand chopper, add eggs one at a time. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 4 teaspoons salt and white pepper and continue to chop until very well blended. Stir in the ice water a little at a time throughout this process. Add matzo meal and chop again. Check to see if mixture is thick enough to bind together to make an oval gefilte fish ball and if not add in more matzo meal.
• Meanwhile, fill two large heavy stock pots half full of water . Into each pot slice one raw onion and one sliced carrot. Add fish skins, if desired. Sprinkle in paprika, salt, black pepper and two tablespoons of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let boil for 10 minutes.
• With wet hands shape the fish balls and carefully drop into boiling stock. Cover slightly and cook over medium-low heat for 2 hours. When done, let fish sit in the pot for 10 minutes, then remove pieces carefully to containers and strain remaining stock over fish balls, just barely covering them. Chill and serve. They will now keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.