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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 12 |
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These are poached fish quenelles aka gefilte fish- great any time of the year! Serve with a creamy horseradish sauce. Gifilte just means stuffed as all ingredients are kinda stuffed and mixed together. Everyone loves my easy recipe! Read more ! Better than storebought Ingredients:
fish part |
2 lbs white, mild fish fillets/chunks ( use one part or combinations: whitefish, tilapia, sole, haddock, cod etc. ) |
1 lb med to firm fish fillets/chunks ( use one part of either: red snapper, tuna, sea bass , monkfish etc. yes even salmon ) |
all should be free of any bones, skin etc. |
4 eggs fork beaten |
1 very large onion |
coarse salt and pepper to taste |
matzoh meal to bind ( 1/2 to 1 cup or as needed), found at the jewish/ethnic foods section |
sugar: 1 tsp but optional |
stock part |
several large carrots cut up |
1/2 bunch celery with leaves okay |
1 large onion cut up |
3 garlic cloves |
few bay leaves |
1 lemon quartered |
1 tsp whole mixed pepper corns |
fish heads, fish bones etc. |
kosher or coarse salt |
sugar ( optional )3 to 5 tsp for the stock |
Directions:
1. Make the fish part
2. If not bought already ground: Using a food processor/or meat grinder, grind fish first , then grind onion.
3. You want a ground consistency not a liquidy puree consistency.
4. Place fish and onions in a large bowl.
5. Add the fork beaten eggs, salt and pepper optional sugar and just enough matzoh meal to bind.
6. Mix by hand with wooden spoon until well combined.
7. If a spoon stands up in the mixture it is just right.
8. If too thin, ad a bit more matzoh meal.
9. Since I don't drain the ground onions, the onion juice acts as additional liquid which flavors the fish.
10. Shape mixture into balls or torpedo shapes like bottled gefilte fish.
11. Gently drop into the fish broth.
12. Bring to a boil.
13. Cover and gently simmer 1 1 /2 to 2 hours.
14. Fish will swell up a bit.
15. When you test one they should be just like the jar consistency, firm enough to be formed nicely and yet a nice soft texture.
16. Some like to let fish cool in the broth, others remove fish to a casserole dish.
17. You don't have to cover the balls in the stock if you don't want.
18. However, the stock whether reduced or not ( even boiled down further - optional ) will keep the fish moist and add more flavor .
19. For presentation remove fish from the gelled stock.
20. Yield: : 1 1/2 dozen of traditional oval shaped and sized bottled gefilte fish.
21. Presentation:
22. Place fish on a platter and surround if desired by cooked carrots, cooked celery, sprigs of fresh parsley.
23. Of course horseradish and mustard for those who like it or however you want to present it.
24. Tips even your grandmother may not know !
25. Liberally salt the stock as well as the gifilte fish mixture with coarse kosher salt and freshly grated black pepper.
26. When the fish cools in the savory stock, they will absorb more of the good flavor.
27. Sugar is optional but just a bit of sugar ( 1 tsp for fish mixture , 3 to 5 tsp for stock ) will bring out the savory tastes in the fish as well as the stock without making it sweet.
28. Some cooks also like to add a bit of paprika to the fish or to the stock- up to you.
29. Fish will last up to a week chilled covered in the fridge so I like to make them a few days ahead of time.
30. Yes fish can be frozen also!
31. Optional methods:
32. Baking : form fish into loaves if desired ( form fish mixture into long roll like salami but perhaps in a 3 inch width roll. )
33. Bake in several inches of water along with carrots, celery, sweet onions, kosher salt , pepper and fresh thyme for about an hour at 350 F.
34. Spoon on the broth over fish, several times when baking. I find that baking is not as good as the cooking in the broth but still is an easy alternative method.
35. Then remove pan of fish out of oven to cool .
36. When cool, place in the fridge for several hours or even over night..
37. This allows the fish to cool down and firm back up so you can slice it into round or oval shapes if you have formed it into a roll.
38. Deep Fry: Some peple love them prepared this way:
39. Form into ping pong shape balls and deep fry them!
40. Great with a creamy horse radish sauce or tarter sauce ! Really a must try once thing.
41. Pan Fry : some people actually pan fry the formed uncooked gefilte fish mixture first and then add it to the pot with the broth to finish cooking..
42. The pan frying adds some flavor and texture but I feel it is not a necessary step. But it's nice to know !
43. Lastly, don't let people make you believe that making gefilte fish is hard or even time consuming. It is not.
44. So impress your guests this year with flavorful gefilte fish! If you can make homemade soup, you can make this!
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