Gefilte Fish Recipes

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:

• Heat oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium. Add chopped onion and carrots; season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl; let cool.
• Return skillet to medium-high heat (do not wipe clean). Add remaining onion and carrot, celery, bay leaf, and peppercorns; toast until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 8 cups water, fish sauce, and 1 tablespoon salt; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup liquid and matzo meal. Cover skillet.
• Meanwhile, slice 1/2 pound salmon into 10 strips, each about 1 inch thick and 2 inches long. Place on a plate, season with salt, cover, and refrigerate. Chop remaining 1 pound salmon into 1-inch pieces. Place chopped salmon and cod in a food processor with chopped-onion mixture, matzo-meal mixture, mustard, sugar, and dill. Add 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; pulse until combined. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs on medium speed until foamy, 1 minute. Add fish mixture; beat until fluffy, about 7 minutes. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 4 hours.
• Scoop fish mixture into 10 half-cup balls; transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. With dampened hands, press a salmon strip into each ball, then shape into an oval. Return liquid in skillet to a simmer. With a spoon, gently drop in fish ovals. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 15 minutes. Refrigerate overnight.
• Let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes. With a slotted spoon, gently remove gefilte fish. Serve over escarole with lemons, cucumbers, radishes, matzos, and sauces.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• For the pickled carrots: Heat the vinegar, sugar, salt and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Place the sliced carrots in a large mason jar. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the carrots and let cool. Refrigerate, covered, at least 30 minutes and up to 10 days.
• For the red pepper stew: Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the peppers, tomatoes, onions and salt and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the sweet paprika, hot paprika, 2 cups water, sugar and red wine vinegar. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let cool 5 minutes.
• For the gefilte fish: Heat a splash of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the celery, onions and peppers with the salt until the vegetables are slightly softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl, stir in the white pepper and let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pulse the bass in a food processor three to six times until it is coarsely chopped. Add the fish to the bowl with the vegetables and mix together by hand to incorporate. Add the matzo meal, dill, parsley and eggs and mix to combine.
• Add two large spoonfuls of the red pepper stew to the bottom of a baking dish to keep the fish from sticking. Using wet hands, form the fish mixture into about sixteen 2-ounce patties that are about 2 inches in diameter and place them in the baking dish. Spoon the red pepper stew over the gefilte fish, then sprinkle the chopped olives over top. Bake until the fish is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
• Serve the gefilte fish at room temperature. Garnish with the pickled carrots, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, fresh dill and cilantro and the espelette pepper.

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:

• 1) Combine all ingredients, except the fish skin in a large (8 to 10 quart) braising pot. The skin will be added after the Gefilte fish is cooking. 2) Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Mix the Gefilte fish while the stock is simmering. The dumplings will be cooked in the stock after it has simmered 20 to 30 minutes and the stock will not be strained until after the Gefilte fish is removed.;
• Grind the fish fillets (which will have the fine pin bones in the meat) through the small plate of a meat grinder. Mix well and grind again. Place the fish in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, onions, carrots, matzo meal, salt, pepper and sugar. Mix very well. Add the oil and cold water and blend into a smooth paste. Make a small ball and cook in the stock for a couple of minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Have a bowl of water handy. Keeping both hands wet, shape 3-ounces of the mixture into oval balls and drop into the stock. Continue until all are made and added to the stock. After they have cooked 10 minutes, add the skin (it was reserved) to the stock. Cover the pot and simmer slowly for 2 hours, turning and basting the dumplings every 15 or 20 minutes. Remove the Gefilte fish with a slotted spoon and place in a large container. Strain the remaining stock over the Gefilte fish. Pick the carrots slices out of the remains and add to the strained stock as well. Allow the Gefilte fish and carrots to cool in the stock, which should gel when completely chilled. Serve with the jellied stock, carrots and beet-horseradish. Slice the Gefilte fish for a nice presentation.;

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.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Blanch the head of cabbage in boiling salted water, about 5 minutes, then place in a basin of cold water. Remove the whole leaves and cut away the tough core. As you peel off the outer leaves, you may have to return the head of cabbage to the boiling water to soften the inner leaves. Dry on a clean towel and reserve.
• Place the matzoh meal in a small bowl. Cover with 1 cup of stock and let soak until needed.
• In a small skillet, heat the olive oil. Over medium heat, saute the onion until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Do not brown. Cool.
• In a wooden bowl or on a chopping board, chop the fish fine with a chopper or large knife. Add the matzoh meal with the stock, the cooled onions, 3 egg yolks, the chopped parsley and tarragon, 2 teaspoons of salt, white pepper, and cayenne, and continue to chop until well combined. In a clean, medium bowl, whisk the egg white until firm but not stiff. Stir a little into the fish mixture, then, quickly but gently, and fold in the remaining whites. To test for flavor, bring a little fish stock to a simmer, add a small ball of the fish mixture and cook for about 5 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning.
• Heat the remaining fish stock and spoon a little into an 11 by 17-inch baking pan. Divide the fish mixture into 12 portions, about 4 ounces each, and enclose each portion in 1 or 2 cabbage leaves. You will find that when the leaves get smaller, you will have to use 2 leaves to wrap the fish. As each package is formed, place in the prepared baking pan, seam-side down. This size pan holds the 12 packages comfortably. Pour the remaining stock over the fish and top with the julienned carrots and leeks. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool in the stock and refrigerate until needed.
• Presentation: Place 1 package of fish on each of 12 plates, garnishing with some of the julienned carrots and leeks. Serve with homemade horseradish, white or red.*
• Homemade Horseradish:
• To make white horseradish, finely grate peeled fresh horseradish into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until needed.
• To make red horseradish, boil 1/2 pound red beets until tender. Peel and then finely grate into a medium bowl. Add about 1/2 cup grated horseradish, or to taste, and combine thoroughly. Refrigerate, covered, until needed.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Blanch the whole head of cabbage for 5 minutes. Leaving water on the heat, remove whole leaves from cabbage and cut away the tough core from each. If removing leaves becomes difficult, return cabbage to water to soften. Place the leaves on a clean towel and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until wilted but not browned, about 4 minutes. Let cool. Place half a cup of fish broth in a large bowl and stir in the matzoh meal. Add onions, fish, egg yolks, parsley, thyme, 2 teaspoons of the salt, pepper and cayenne and stir until well combined. In a clean, medium-size bowl, beat egg whites until firm but not stiff. Stir 1/3 of the whites into fish mixture. Fold in remaining whites.
• To check seasoning, bring a little of the remaining fish broth to a simmer. Form a little of the fish mixture into a ball and cook it in the broth for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Heat the remaining fish broth and pour a little into an 11-by-17-inch baking pan.
• With moistened hands, divide the fish mixture into 12 portions, about 4 ounces each. Place each portion in the center of a cabbage leaf (place 2 leaves together, if necessary). Fold the sides over the filling and roll up the leaves to form neat packages. Place in the baking pan, seam side down. Pour the remaining broth over the packages. Scatter the carrot and leek over the top. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool. Refrigerate.
• To serve, if using beets, stir them together with 1/2 cup horseradish. Place 1 cabbage package on each of 12 plates and garnish with the carrot and leek. Serve with the beet mixture or the 1 cup horseradish.

Steps:

• Place matzoh meal in a bowl, mix with 1 cup fish stock and set aside.
• Place cabbages in a large pot of simmering water and as leaves soften, carefully remove them. You will need about 15 large unbroken leaves or twice that many smaller leaves, which can be put together overlapping to make a large leaf. Rinse softened leaves under cold running water, dry and cut away any large central ribs.
• Heat oil in a small skillet and saute onion until translucent.
• Cube fish, season with salt and pepper and process, using a pulse mechanism, in a food processor. Fish should have some texture. Alternatively, fish can be ground in a meat grinder or ordered ground from fish market.
• Mix fish with onion, parsley and tarragon. Season with pepper. Lightly beat egg yolks and mix in, then add matzoh meal.
• Beat egg whites until frothy, then fold in. Taste mixture for seasoning by poaching a small amount in water, then allowing to cool briefly.
• Place 2 heaping tablespoons of fish mixture in a cabbage leaf or leaves and roll to enclose fish mixture completely, making a package. Repeat until all fish mixture is used.
• Heat remaining stock in large saucepan and add vinegar. Place cabbage rolls, seam side down, in the saucepan and scatter the carrots and leeks over them. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Let cool completely in the stock. Remove fish rolls from stock and refrigerate until a half-hour before serving. Serve with fresh horseradish.

Steps:

• 1. In a food processor or grinder, grind fish (refrigerate heads and bones for later use), 2 onions, 1 stalk celery, and half a carrot. (If you use a food processor, make sure you leave no large pieces of fish or bones; you may want to transfer the mixture, bit by bit, into a wooden bowl, and go over it vigorously with a hand chopper.)
• 2. Place fish mixture in a large bowl, and add eggs, sugar, salt, pepper, and corn oil, mixing thoroughly with a wire whisk. Stir in matzo meal, and continue to mix until everything is thoroughly blended. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more (longer, even overnight, is better).
• 3. Fill 2 large stockpots three-quarters full of water, and bring to a vigorous boil. In each, throw in half the fish heads and bones, 2 onions, half the celery, and a carrot. Divide batter into 12 patties of equal size. (Don't worry that your batter is a little loose; it has to be that way to keep your gefilte fish light.) Transfer each patty to a large cooking spoon, shape into an oval, and very gently lower it into the boiling water. Put 6 in each pot. Lower heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
• 4. Remove fish balls and carrots from pots, and refrigerate on a covered plate. Discard everything else. Serve chilled with red and/or white horseradish. Slice carrots for garnish.

Steps:

• Place very little olive oil in a pot over medium heat.
• Add the onion and just slightly brown.
• Add the pieces of fish and the fish geletin, carrots, celery and pepper to taste.
• Raise heat to high and bring to a boil and then reduce the heat back to medium or medium-low and simmer 8 to 10 minutes… Remove from heat.
• Take the pieces of fish out of the pot very gently and cool on a platter.
• Reserve the vegetables.
• Slightly oil a cookie sheet.
• Lay the pieces of fish onto the slightly oiled cookie sheet and turn the fish over, so that both sides of the fish are oiled. Place the fish into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
• Turn the fish over and bake another 10 minutes, or until the fish is slightly browned. Remove from oven and refrigerate. Serve with the reserved vegetables and horseradish.