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Photo credit Daniela Rusowsky

A Sephardic Spin on Gefilte Fish

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This centuries-old gefilte fish recipe from Bessarabia blends Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions.

  • Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients

For the chrain:

  • 1 beetroot, raw and finely grated
  • 100 g preserved horseradish sauce (meerrettich) or 1 fresh horseradish, raw and finely grated

For the smoked eggplant puree:

  • 4 eggplants
  • 1 garlic clove
  • salt
  • 4 Tbsp white wine vinegar
  • vegetable oil

For the gefilte fish:

  • 500 g white-fleshed fish (ideally sea bass or red sea bream with the head on)
  • 2 onions
  • 2 carrots
  • oil, for frying
  • 1 liter hot water
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 5 whole peppercorns
  • 2-3 bay leaves (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp matzah meal
  • 1 egg
  • fresh parsley, for garnishing

Instructions

  1. To make the chrain, mix the grated raw beetroot with the horseradish.
  2. To make the eggplant puree, preheat the oven to 180ºC. Wash and dry the eggplants, then roast them over a burner until the skin is charred, turning them as they burn.
  3. Once sufficiently charred, place them in the oven on a parchment-paper- lined baking sheet until tender.
  4. Allow to cool in a bowl to drain.
  5. Cut in half and scoop out the flesh. Chop the flesh finely, creating a puree by grinding it with a knife. 
  6. Season with salt, vinegar and crushed or finely chopped garlic. Finish with a touch of vegetable oil.
  7. To make the gefilte fish, wash and fillet the fish, discard the bones and set the head aside.
  8. Dice the onions. Peel the carrots, and slice them.
  9. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the onions until soft. Set aside half of the onions.
  10. Add hot water, carrots, peppercorns, bay leaves (if using), garlic, salt and the fish head to the pan. (If you don’t have a fish head, you can skip this step.)
  11. While the stock is cooking, grind the fish using a knife or a grinder (electric or manual). Combine it with the remaining fried onions, egg, matzah meal and salt.
  12. Heat oil in a frying pan. With wet hands, shape the mixture into oval croquettes and fry them until golden brown on both sides. Put the croquetes on a paper towel to absorb the excess of oil.
  13. Remove the fish head from the broth and add the fish croquettes to the broth. 
  14. Boil for 30 minutes or until most of the broth has evaporated. Serve hot with chrain or roasted aubergine puree. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

  • Chrain, typically served with fish, consists of finely grated raw beetroot mixed with  horseradish. It’s easiest to use the prepared horseradish sauce from a jar, though be aware that these often contain cream and are not suitable for meaty dishes. 
  • You can prepare the chrain in advance; it keeps for about four days in the refrigerator if made with fresh ingredients, and for about two weeks with preserved horseradish sauce.
  • To prepare the puree in advance, freeze after Step 5 (before adding garlic, salt and vinegar). Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and continue with the recipe, serving at room temperature. The finished puree will keep in the refrigerator for up to ten days.
  • The gefilte fish can be prepared in advance and frozen for up to two weeks. Alternatively, once cooked and cooled, store in the refrigerator for up to two days.
  • Author: Daniela Rusowsky
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Ashkenazi

Find it online: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/a-sephardic-spin-on-gefilte-fish/