Gefilte Fish Recipe

In celebration of Passover, I wanted to make a traditional food – so we made Gefilte Fish!  Thank goodness for Stephanie at InCultureParent.  She had the perfect recipe.

Just as a note, I’m no food blogger.  I don’t even really like to cook (especially).  I mean, it’s okay – here and there – but I’m no maestro in the kitchen.  Plus, I don’t like the mess that I have to clean up afterwords.  Despite that, I did want to make at least one traditional meal.  So, I went to the store and bought the specialized ingredients (another reason I don’t like to cook – buying expensive spices and such that will only be used once).

Okay, enough of the grump.

 Here is the recipe, which I took directly from InCultureParent.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb skinless, boneless salmon fillets
1/2 lb skinless, boneless red snapper or tilapia fillets
1/2 lb skinless, boneless cod fillets
1 large onion
2 carrots
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4-1/2 cup matzoh meal
1/4 cup ice water
2 cups fish stock

Instructions:
1. Boil fish stock in slow cooker (or bring to a boil on stove and transfer to a slow cooker).

2.. Place onion and 1 1/2 carrots in a large food processor. Grind. Scrape down side, add spices, and pulse. Add fish, and pulse until fully ground.

3. Turn fish mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add eggs. Mix thoroughly with a fork. Add ice water. Mix. Starting with 1/4 cup, add matzoh meal a bit at a time until mixture can bind into balls.

4. Shape fish into palm-sized, oval balls. Gently drop into hot stock. Add the remaining 1/2 carrot. Simmer for two hours. To serve, slice the remaining carrot, place the fish onto a dry plate, and top with a carrot slice.

Just a few notes.

1. I used a seafood stock.  There was nothing that said “fish stock” in the store.  In fact, there was only one seafood stock.  I didn’t even get a choice of brands.
2. I used a 1:1:1 mixture of Salmon:Cod:Tilapia
3. There must be something wrong with my slow cooker (AKA, picked the cheapest one for the birth and didn’t think I would actually cook in it).  I was never able to get my seafood stock to boil.  So, I boiled it on the stove and put it in the crock pot (with the  crock pot on high).  The liquid did not simmer, but it still turned out fine.
4. I think I added too much of the Matzoh Meal.  When they say add it slowly – they are not kidding.  You should check frequently for the ability of the mixture to form balls.  Once it can be formed into a ball – stop adding the Matzoh Meal.  I think ours over-tasted of Matzoh Meal.

I think it turned out really good.  I have never had it, so I have nothing to compare it to.  My hubby thought it tasted too much like Cod.  I don’t really “do” fish much, so I couldn’t tell.  Perhaps you should try adding a bit less Cod – maybe 1/4 lb.

Have you ever had Gefilte Fish?  What foods do you cook for special celebrations?