Whether you celebrate Easter or Passover this spring, there is that one special dish which universally “defines” the holiday. For Russian New Year for example, it has to be potato salad called Olivie, and for Passover, it’s hands down gefilte fish!Years ago, in Kiev, Ukraine where I grew up, the process of making it was a ritual that took all day. It started with a whole carp – head, guts, scales and all. Women would gather in the kitchen, divide responsibilities, starting with cleaning the fish from scales, gutting it, filleting it, but preserving the head and leaving skin intact, manually grinding the cleaned pieces and only then, you are ready to start. Not realistic in this day and age. I am not going to give you precise measurements since cooking is like an art. This is more to encourage you to make the dish and realize just how easy and fun it really is. Not to mention healthy and delicious. Very often the proteins we cook are exposed to high temperatures when frying, baking or even sautéing, but gefilte fish is an equivalent to a poached dish in broth, only with a whole lot of flavor.
- Slice beets, carrots and onions into rings, put them in a big pot, cover with water, add salt, pepper, bay leaf, and let simmer for 30 minutes or while you prep the fish. (HEALTHY NOTE: Buy beets and carrots with tops – fresh tops tell you that the vegetable was recently picked and retained more of its vitamin content. Carrot tops must be discarded, but beet tops are delicious in smoothies. Blend it with some organic Kefir for one leafy greens + probiotics booster).
- Buy fish that is wild. In spring, wild cod is readily available at a reasonable price. I do 2 parts cod 1-2 lbs. and one part salmon 1/2 to 1lb for better flavor. Cut the entire fillet in chunks and grind in food processer in portions not all at once.
- Grind one medium carrot and one medium onion in food processer and until mushy.
- Add 3-4 eggs
- Add seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and a few dashes of 21 spices dry mix from Trader Joe’s. It has everything, but the kitchen sink, and no salt nor preservatives added.
- Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of matzo meal (or bread crumbs if you are not making this for Passover), a splash of olive oil and a splash of water to keep the crumbs moist.
- Form the mixture into traditional oval shape patties, put into simmering broth, cover and let it cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
While you can certainly enjoy them warm, the more traditional way is to chill them in the fridge for a few hours and then serve with beat horseradish sauce. It’s delicious, healthy, and can feed a family for days. Enjoy!