Gefilte Fish

Gefilte fish is a traditional dish of Jewish cuisine. A whole fish (ideally carp) can be stuffed and served whole, or you can make patties from fish mince and cover them with jelly. This is my mom’s recipe, and of course for our family it is the most delicious. Our Canadian carp is not very tasty, so we replace it with a mix of red and white fish. It is preferable that there is more red fish than white fish. Stuffed fish loves salt, sugar, and pepper. You should not be afraid to use them, but of course you need to taste as you cook and adjust the fish to the desired flavour 

Ingredients

For the fish base

• 1.2 kg salmon fillet

• 600 g bass fillet

• 2 salmon heads, fish skin and bones

• 1 large onion

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

• 1 egg

• salt

• sugar

• black pepper

• allspice

• bay leaf

  • 1 more large onion and 1 carrot

For the jelly

• 1 liter water

• 3 packets gelatin (21 g)

• 2 beets

• salt

• sugar

• a pinch of citric acid

Steps

Fish base

1. Remove bones from the fish and remove the skin (set bones and skin aside). Cut the skin into strips 1–2 cm wide

2. Pass the fish flesh and 1 onion through a meat grinder

3. Add breadcrumbs and a beaten egg. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a little water

4. Add salt, sugar, black pepper (to taste — more sugar than salt is needed) and mix well

5. Place at the bottom of a deep pot: fish heads and bones, onion peel, onion sliced into rings, carrot sliced into rounds, allspice, and bay leaf

6. Form patties from the fish mixture and wrap them in fish skin

7. Arrange in layers, then again onion, carrot, spices, and bay leaf. Repeat in layers

8. Pour cold water so that the fish is fully covered. Bring to a boil

9. After boiling, taste and adjust salt and sugar if needed

10. Cover with an inverted plate, then a lid, reduce heat and cook for about 1 hour

11. Carefully remove the cooked fish and let it cool

Jelly

1. Bring water and thinly sliced beets to a boil in a separate pot

2. Cook for about 20 minutes, then strain

3. Add salt, sugar, pepper, and a pinch of citric acid to preserve colour

4. Dissolve gelatin in a small amount of water and add it to the beet broth

5. Place fish on a serving dish and pour the hot jelly mixture over it

6. Refrigerate until fully set