Gefilte fish, a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish commonly served during holidays, is a delectable dish featuring ground fish, typically served stuffed inside fish skin or various forms of aspic. Madge's gefilte fish is a popular variation, renowned for its unique blend of flavors and textures. While there are countless renditions and interpretations of gefilte fish, Madge's recipe stands out with its focus on fresh ingredients, delicate seasonings, and meticulous preparation, resulting in a dish that embodies tradition and culinary excellence.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
GEFILTE FISH
My mother-in-law took great pains to prepare Gefilte Fish for Passover and Rosh Hashanah. The best legacy she left was to teach her sons how to do it and in turn they would teach their wives and then the next generation. This has been passed down and today it is still appreciated as the Mintz Family Gefilte Fish.
Provided by Daisy
Categories Appetizers and Snacks Seafood
Time 2h35m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 17
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 513.4 calories, Carbohydrate 32.4 g, Cholesterol 247.9 mg, Fat 14.2 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 62.1 g, SaturatedFat 3.5 g, Sodium 1445.7 mg, Sugar 15.5 g
MADGE'S GEFILTE FISH
Martha's friend Madge Miller shares her recipe for gefilte fish, a traditional side dish at Passover gatherings. Serve with Madge's Horseradish, which blends beets into the classic sauce.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Appetizers
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In a large, wide pot, bring fish stock to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.
- In a large bowl combine whitefish, yellow pike, and carp. Add onions, eggs, matzo meal, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup cold water. Stir with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a paste.
- Moisten hands with cold water. Shape about 1/3 cup of mixture into an oval slightly larger than an egg (3 to 4 inches long). Place gently in simmering stock. Repeat with remaining mixture. Add carrots. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and simmer, until firm and opaque, about 1 hour. Cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container. Chill until stock gels, at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve cold, or at room temperature, garnished with fresh horseradish and a sprig of dill. May be made up to 2 days ahead.
SALMON AND COD GEFILTE FISH
Our modern take on the Passover classic transforms this often divisive dish into elegant quenelles made with salmon and cod rather than the traditional carp or pike.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Appetizers
Time 2h5m
Yield Serves 8 to 10
Number Of Ingredients 18
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.
GEFILTE FISH
Provided by Food Network
Number Of Ingredients 19
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.;
RUTH MESSINGER'S GEFILTE FISH
Provided by Marian Burros
Categories dinner, project, main course
Time 2h30m
Yield 40 fish balls
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Combine the fish bones, skin and heads in a 10-quart or larger stock pot. Add half of the onions and carrots and all the celery.
- Place the fish fillets in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground (you may have to do this in batches). Set aside.
- Put the remaining onions and carrots in the food processor and chop medium fine. Mix with the ground fish by hand.
- Soak the matzohs in the seltzer for 5 minutes, then squeeze dry and crumble. Add the matzohs, whole eggs, egg yolks and half the salt and all the pepper to the ground fish mixture.
- Lightly shape the fish mixture into balls 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. If the balls will not hold their shape or if mixture feels too sticky, add matzo meal until it is the consistency of meatballs.
- Place the balls in the pot on top of the bones and vegetables. They can be in a double layer. Add cold water to cover the fish balls almost completely. Add lemon juice and remaining salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the balls are solid and the liquid has been reduced by half. Frequently baste any uncovered balls as they cook.
- Remove fish balls with slotted spoon. Place on a platter and wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Let broth simmer to reduce again by half. Cool; strain and pour a light layer over the fish balls. Chill. Broth will gel. Serve with fresh horseradish (recipe below).
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 153, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 7 grams, Fat 3 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 25 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 415 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams, TransFat 0 grams
MY MOM'S LEGENDARY GALICIANER (SWEET) GEFILTE FISH
My mother's gefilte fish is the stuff of legends. We have tried to reproduce it for years, with little success. We have watched her make it, measured, copied, you name it. Still, it is just not the same as the fish my mom makes. Hers is so delicious, even to people who just despise gefilte fish, that friends and family members will travel across the continent to have some. A tough act to follow. That said, here is the best approximation of my mom's classic fish that I can come up with. At least for now. I hope your family loves it as much as we do.
Provided by Sarah Chana
Categories Whitefish
Time 2h30m
Yield 16 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 189.5, Fat 2.9, SaturatedFat 0.8, Cholesterol 107.8, Sodium 440.2, Carbohydrate 25.9, Fiber 1.4, Sugar 11.4, Protein 14.7
BEST GEFILTE FISH
Steps:
- Grind snapper meat and trout meat in a meat grinder set to the smallest grind. Process fish meat through the grinder again.
- Place reserved fish heads, skin, and bones in a large pot. Add water, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, and 1 pinch white sugar; bring mixture to a boil and cook until flavors combine, at least 30 minutes. Strain and discard fish heads, skin, bones, and onion. Return broth to the pot.
- Beat ground fish, eggs, onion, water, matzo meal, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper in a large bowl with an electric mixture until mixture is soft and holds together. Using wet hands, form fish mixture into oblong 1-inch balls.
- Gently drop fish balls into broth, adding more water as necessary to completely cover all of the fish. Cover the pot and bring to a boil; reduce heat, uncover the pot, and simmer until stock has reduced by half, about 2 1/2 hours.
- Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add carrot rounds, cover, and steam until tender but firm to the bite, 6 to 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove fish to a serving dish. Place 1 carrot slice on top of each fish ball. Pour broth over the fish balls and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until broth gels, at least 2 hours.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 303.9 calories, Carbohydrate 6.9 g, Cholesterol 189.2 mg, Fat 8 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 48.4 g, SaturatedFat 2.2 g, Sodium 1316.6 mg, Sugar 3.1 g
MOCK GEFILTE FISH
Both my father and my aunt served this during those months, when fresh carp is not available. There are many versions of " Gefilte Fish", "Fish Balls", "Falsher Fish" or what my dad called "Polish Carp". Theirs was sweeter than most others I sampled, but it must closely resemble the taste they remembered from their home in Sosnowitz, Poland. Unfortunately I could not ask them for their recipe, so I adapted the one I found in Harriet Roth's "Deliciously Healthy Jewish Cooking".
Provided by soscha
Categories Chicken Breast
Time 3h
Yield 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Bring water and stock ingredients to a boil and simmer for half an hour.
- Meanwhile, grate onion and carrots, and mix with the chicken, eggs, and reserved stock. Add the matzo meal or bread crumbs and season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Form into medium-sized balls.
- Bring stock to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and add meat balls and parsley. Cover partially. Simmer for 2 hours.
- Place meat balls in a casserole dish. Reduce the stock to about half, strain, and pour over the meat balls. Top with cooked carrot slices.
- Cool thoroughly in the refrigerator.
- Serve with horseradish sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 237.2, Fat 5.7, SaturatedFat 1.5, Cholesterol 110.6, Sodium 1409.9, Carbohydrate 22.4, Fiber 1.6, Sugar 11.1, Protein 23
GEFILTE FISH
Provided by Marian Burros
Categories dinner, main course
Time 40m
Yield About 16 pieces
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Saute the onion in margarine until soft. Combine with the carp and whitefish and chop finely with steel blade in food processor (or chop by hand). Season mixture with salt and pepper.
- Add eggs and mix well to blend. Blend in almonds.
- With wet hands shape the fish mixture into ovals, using two tablespoons for each.
- Place the ovals in lightly boiling fish bouillon, cover and cook at a slow boil for about 30 minutes. Remove fish balls from bouillon and arrange on serving dish. Strain the bouillon through a fine strainer over the fish and refrigerate. The bouillon will jell.
- To serve, arrange a piece or two of cooked carrot slices on each piece of gefilte fish, decorate with parsley and serve red horseradish on the side.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 212, UnsaturatedFat 11 grams, Carbohydrate 3 grams, Fat 14 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 19 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 615 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram, TransFat 0 grams
GEFILTE FISH
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.
Tips:
- Choose the right fish: Carp and whitefish are traditional choices for gefilte fish, but you can also use other mild-flavored fish, such as pike, salmon, or cod.
- Soak the fish fillets in cold water for at least 30 minutes before cooking: This will help to remove the blood and impurities from the fish.
- Grind the fish fillets twice: This will ensure that the fish is very finely ground and will produce a smooth gefilte fish mixture.
- Add plenty of aromatics to the fish mixture: This will help to flavor the gefilte fish and make it more delicious. Common aromatics include onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and parsley.
- Season the fish mixture well: Salt, pepper, and paprika are all essential seasonings for gefilte fish. You can also add other spices, such as dill, thyme, or bay leaves, to taste.
- Poach the gefilte fish balls in a flavorful broth: This will help to keep the fish balls moist and flavorful. Common poaching liquids include water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth.
- Serve the gefilte fish balls with your favorite accompaniments: Horseradish, beets, and hard-boiled eggs are all popular choices.
Conclusion:
Gefilte fish is a delicious and traditional Jewish dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With a little planning and effort, you can easily make your own gefilte fish at home. So next time you're looking for a special dish to serve for a holiday or special occasion, give gefilte fish a try!
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