Gefilte Fish Pate Recipes

GEFILTE FISH

Steps:

• Fill a large, wide pot with 10 cups of water and place over high heat. While bringing to a boil, coarsely chop and add to the pot 1 onion, 1 celery stalk, 1 carrot and the fennel bulb. Add the peppercorns and 1 teaspoon salt. Once water is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, while preparing the fish.
• Coarsely chop the remaining onion, celery stalk and 1 carrot, then pulse in a food processor until finely chopped. Add fish, chives and 2 tablespoons parsley, tarragon and/or dill, and keep pulsing until fish is chopped but not mushy.
• Move the fish mixture to a medium bowl and add eggs, oil, matzo meal, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or more to taste) and the ground black pepper, and mix well with your hands.
• Put your hands in a bowl of cold water. Using your hands, mold the fish mixture into a 3- by 2-inch oval patty (about 2 ounces) and gently place on a platter. Repeat with the remaining fish mixture, dipping your hands in water as needed.
• Pop the third carrot into the simmering broth and gently add the patties to the pot. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes until patties are firm.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the fish and carrot from the poaching liquid to cool on a plate. Slice the carrot diagonally into thin rounds.
• Place each patty on a leaf of radicchio or endive or both. Set the sliced carrot rounds on top of each patty. Garnish with the remaining tablespoon of fresh herbs and serve warm or at room temperature with horseradish, preferably homemade. If making a day ahead, refrigerate, covered, then return the patties to room temperature before serving.

ELEGANT AND EASY GOURMET GEFILTE FISH PATE

Steps:

• Grind fish fine. Saute onions in oil till soft but not brown. Put the fish, onions, eggs, water, matzah meal, salt, white pepper, and sugar in a electric mixer bowl and beat on medium speed for 15 minutes. Grate the carrots and mix well. Pour the mixture into a gerased 12 cup bundt pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 1 hour in a larger pan filled with 2 inches water. Cover with alum foil and continue baking for 1 hour or until the center is solid. Cool for 5 minutes and then invert onto a flat serving plate. Refrigerate for several hours or over night. Slice as you would a torte and serve as an appetizer, garnished with parsley and served with red horseradish. The mold can be made up to two days in advance and leftovers keep for up to five days. Posted to JEWISH-FOOD digest V97 #333 by Nancy Berry on Dec 24, 1997

GEFILTE FISH PATE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Remove from heat and let cool.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine fish, cooled onions, eggs, water, matzah meal, salt, pepper, and sugar. Beat on medium speed for 15 minutes. Add grated carrots and mix until well combined.
• Transfer mixture to 12-cup bundt pan, smoothing top with a spatula. Place bundt pan in a larger baking dish and fill baking dish 2-inches high with water. Transfer to oven and bake for 1 hour. Cover bundt pan with parchment paper-lined foil and continue baking until center feels solid when a wooden skewer is inserted into the center, about 1 hour more.
• Remove bundt pan from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Invert onto a flat serving plate and refrigerate overnight. Slice and serve garnished with parsley.

GOURMET GEFILTE FISH PATé

Steps:

• Have your fish store or monger grind the fillets or grind them yourself in a food processor or meat grinder; do not puree, but grind fine.
• Saute the diced onions in the oil until soft and translucent but not brown; remove from heat and let cool.
• Preheat oven to 325ºF.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachement, combine fish, cooled onions, eggs, water, matzoh meal, salt, pepper, and sugar.
• Beat on medium speed for 15 minutes.
• Add grated carrots and mix until well combined.
• Transfer mixture to 12-cup bundt pan, smoothing the top with a psatula.
• Place bundt pan in a larger baking dish 2" high with water. (I place the container of water in stove first and then the bundt pan, so as to avoid burning myself and/or spilling on the floor!).
• Transfer to oven and bake for 1 hour.
• Cover bundt pan with parchment paper-lined foil and continue baking until center feels solid when a wooden skewer is inserted into the center, about 1 hour longer.
• Remove bundt pan from oven and let stand 5 minutes.
• Invert onto a flat serving plate and refrigerate overnight.
• Slice (as you would a torte) and serve garnished with parsley and the condiments in separate bowls.

BAKED HERBED GEFILTE FISH

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 2. Pour the olive oil into the bottom of a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Add the paprika, parsley, 1 pinch of the allspice, the salt, and pepper. Roll the frozen loaf in the oil and spices to coat. Remove the loaf from the pan, arrange the onion on the bottom of the pan, and place the loaf on top of the onion. Sprinkle with the garlic and the remaining 1 pinch allspice. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Bake, covered, for 2 hours.
• 3. Cool the gefilte fish completely, then place it in a resealable container and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve cold, sliced and topped with the onions.

FAIRLY CLASSIC GEFILTE FISH

Steps:

• Grind the fish, but not too finely. In a food processor it should be done in two batches, about 24 pulses each. Mix the fish with the onion, garlic, parsley, matzoh meal, lemon juice, wine or water and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Do not underseason. The best way to check the seasonings is to poach a small amount of the mixture in simmering water and taste.
• For the stock, place the fish bones and heads in a stockpot. Cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Boil about 5 minutes, skimming constantly. Lower heat to a simmer.
• Add the remaining stock ingredients except the salt, and simmer gently about 1 1/2 hours, adding additional water as needed to keep the ingredients covered. Strain through a very fine strainer. Season with salt.
• Pour the stock into a large shallow saucepan. Add the carrots, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the carrots, slice them and refrigerate. Add enough water to the stock so the liquid is about 3 inches deep. Bring to a simmer.
• Keeping your hands wet with cold water, form the fish mixture into oval patties about 3 inches long. Slip as many as will fit comfortably into the pan, and poach for 30 minutes. Remove and drain them, and continue poaching the rest. When all the fish is cooked, transfer it to a bowl or serving dish, scatter the carrot slices over it and refrigerate.
• Boil down the cooking liquid until it is reduced to about 3 cups. Strain through a fine strainer. Spoon some over the cooled fish. Refrigerate the rest. It should jell. Skim the surface.
• Serve the fish cold with horseradish and jellied broth on the side.

CLASSIC GEFILTE FISH

Steps:

• 1. Place the reserved bones, skin, and fish heads in a wide, very large saucepan with a cover. Add the water and 2 teaspoons of the salt and bring to a boil. Remove the foam that accumulates.
• 2. Slice 1 onion in rounds and add along with 3 of the carrots. Add the sugar and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes while the fish mixture is being prepared.
• 3. Place the ground fish in a bowl. In a food processor finely chop the remaining onions, the remaining carrot, and the parsnip; or mince them by hand. Add the chopped vegetables to the ground fish.
• 4. Add the eggs, one at a time, the remaining teaspoon of salt, pepper, and the cold water, and mix thoroughly. Stir in enough matzah meal to make a light, soft mixture into oval shapes, about 3 inches long. Take the last fish head and stuff the cavity with the ground fish mixture.
• 5. Remove from the saucepan the onions, skins, head, and bones and return the stock to a simmer. Gently place the fish patties in the simmering fish stock. Cover loosely and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste the liquid while the fish is cooking and add seasoning to taste. Shake the pot periodically so the fish patties won't stick. When gefilte fish is cooked, remove from the water and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
• 6. Using a slotted spoon carefully remove the gefilte fish and arrange on a platter. Strain some of the stock over the fish, saving the rest in a bowl.
• 7. Slice the cooked carrots into rounds cut on a diagonal about 1/4 inch thick. Place a carrot round on top of each gefilte fish patty. Put the fish head in the center and decorate the eyes with carrots. Chill until ready to serve. Serve with a sprig of parsley and horseradish.