Gefilte Fish Mousse Recipes

GEFILTE FISH

Steps:

• Grind the fish, 2 1/2 onions and 4 carrots together. Place fish mixture in a wooden bowl. Using a hand chopper, add eggs one at a time. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 4 teaspoons salt and white pepper and continue to chop until very well blended. Stir in the ice water a little at a time throughout this process. Add matzo meal and chop again. Check to see if mixture is thick enough to bind together to make an oval gefilte fish ball and if not add in more matzo meal.
• Meanwhile, fill two large heavy stock pots half full of water . Into each pot slice one raw onion and one sliced carrot. Add fish skins, if desired. Sprinkle in paprika, salt, black pepper and two tablespoons of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let boil for 10 minutes.
• With wet hands shape the fish balls and carefully drop into boiling stock. Cover slightly and cook over medium-low heat for 2 hours. When done, let fish sit in the pot for 10 minutes, then remove pieces carefully to containers and strain remaining stock over fish balls, just barely covering them. Chill and serve. They will now keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.

MADGE'S GEFILTE FISH

Steps:

• In a large, wide pot, bring fish stock to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.
• In a large bowl combine whitefish, yellow pike, and carp. Add onions, eggs, matzo meal, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup cold water. Stir with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a paste.
• Moisten hands with cold water. Shape about 1/3 cup of mixture into an oval slightly larger than an egg (3 to 4 inches long). Place gently in simmering stock. Repeat with remaining mixture. Add carrots. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and simmer, until firm and opaque, about 1 hour. Cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container. Chill until stock gels, at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve cold, or at room temperature, garnished with fresh horseradish and a sprig of dill. May be made up to 2 days ahead.

GEFILTE FISH MOUSSE

Steps:

• Combine first 4 ingredients in food processor. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into glass jello mold or bundt pan and chill until set. Serve with matzo crackers and red horseradish.

GEFILTE FISH

Steps:

• 1) Combine all ingredients, except the fish skin in a large (8 to 10 quart) braising pot. The skin will be added after the Gefilte fish is cooking. 2) Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Mix the Gefilte fish while the stock is simmering. The dumplings will be cooked in the stock after it has simmered 20 to 30 minutes and the stock will not be strained until after the Gefilte fish is removed.;
• Grind the fish fillets (which will have the fine pin bones in the meat) through the small plate of a meat grinder. Mix well and grind again. Place the fish in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, onions, carrots, matzo meal, salt, pepper and sugar. Mix very well. Add the oil and cold water and blend into a smooth paste. Make a small ball and cook in the stock for a couple of minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Have a bowl of water handy. Keeping both hands wet, shape 3-ounces of the mixture into oval balls and drop into the stock. Continue until all are made and added to the stock. After they have cooked 10 minutes, add the skin (it was reserved) to the stock. Cover the pot and simmer slowly for 2 hours, turning and basting the dumplings every 15 or 20 minutes. Remove the Gefilte fish with a slotted spoon and place in a large container. Strain the remaining stock over the Gefilte fish. Pick the carrots slices out of the remains and add to the strained stock as well. Allow the Gefilte fish and carrots to cool in the stock, which should gel when completely chilled. Serve with the jellied stock, carrots and beet-horseradish. Slice the Gefilte fish for a nice presentation.;

MY MOM'S LEGENDARY GALICIANER (SWEET) GEFILTE FISH

Steps:

• Mix together fish, onions, eggs, salt, sugar, pepper until very thoroughly blended.
• If you are my mother, or not as squeemish as her daughter, you taste it at this point (yes, raw) and adjust seasonings to taste. If you are me, you just pray that it is well-seasoned and move on.
• Add matzo meal slowly, mixing very very well, until it is almost thick enough to shape into balls, but just a bit softer. (How's that for imprecise?).
• Cover the bowl, and refrigerate for at least one hour, or even overnight.
• At this point, you can shape the mixture into balls or loaves and freeze for future use, but no one ever does because deferring this gratification for that long is just impossible.
• Make the broth: In a large soup pot, mix the broth ingredients.
• Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 30 minutes or so. It should be sort of golden in color. Taste to adjust seasoning. The broth should be sweet and a little salty.
• Form the fish mixture into balls, cylinders, loaves -- whatever.
• Add to broth, bring to a boil again, and then lower to a very slow boil for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Cool. Eat. Enjoy.

RUTH MESSINGER'S GEFILTE FISH

Steps:

• Combine the fish bones, skin and heads in a 10-quart or larger stock pot. Add half of the onions and carrots and all the celery.
• Place the fish fillets in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground (you may have to do this in batches). Set aside.
• Put the remaining onions and carrots in the food processor and chop medium fine. Mix with the ground fish by hand.
• Soak the matzohs in the seltzer for 5 minutes, then squeeze dry and crumble. Add the matzohs, whole eggs, egg yolks and half the salt and all the pepper to the ground fish mixture.
• Lightly shape the fish mixture into balls 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. If the balls will not hold their shape or if mixture feels too sticky, add matzo meal until it is the consistency of meatballs.
• Place the balls in the pot on top of the bones and vegetables. They can be in a double layer. Add cold water to cover the fish balls almost completely. Add lemon juice and remaining salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the balls are solid and the liquid has been reduced by half. Frequently baste any uncovered balls as they cook.
• Remove fish balls with slotted spoon. Place on a platter and wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Let broth simmer to reduce again by half. Cool; strain and pour a light layer over the fish balls. Chill. Broth will gel. Serve with fresh horseradish (recipe below).

GEFILTE FISH WITH BEET HORSERADISH

Steps:

• To make the dumplings, cut the fish into 1 1/2-inch chunks and place in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to freeze partially. Transfer to a food processor and process to as fine a puree as possible. Add the onion, egg, matzo meal, salt, and pepper and continue processing to a paste. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator until quite firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• To make the beet horseradish, cook the beet in water to cover until it can barely be pierced, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size. Drain and let cool until it can be handled, then peel it while still warm. Grate on the medium-fine holes of a box grater. In a small bowl, combine the grated beet, horseradish, vinegar, sugar, and salt and stir to mix. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use or refrigerate for up to 2 days.
• To make the broth, combine the fish bones and heads, carrot, celery, shallot, salt, and water in a medium saucepan, adding more water if needed to cover the ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off any foam that forms on the surface. Decrease the heat to maintain a brisk simmer, cover partially, and cook until slightly reduced, about 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
• To cook the dumplings, with wet hands, form the fish mixture into ovals the size of a very large egg, using about 1/3 cup for each dumpling. Drop them into the broth and bring just to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer, adding more water if necessary to keep the dumplings afloat, until cooked through, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the dumplings and broth to a serving bowl, let cool until no longer steaming, and refrigerate until the broth sets into a loose gelée, 3 hours or so.
• Serve the gefilte fish and gelée cold with the beet horseradish on the side.

BEST GEFILTE FISH

Steps:

• Grind snapper meat and trout meat in a meat grinder set to the smallest grind. Process fish meat through the grinder again.
• Place reserved fish heads, skin, and bones in a large pot. Add water, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, and 1 pinch white sugar; bring mixture to a boil and cook until flavors combine, at least 30 minutes. Strain and discard fish heads, skin, bones, and onion. Return broth to the pot.
• Beat ground fish, eggs, onion, water, matzo meal, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper in a large bowl with an electric mixture until mixture is soft and holds together. Using wet hands, form fish mixture into oblong 1-inch balls.
• Gently drop fish balls into broth, adding more water as necessary to completely cover all of the fish. Cover the pot and bring to a boil; reduce heat, uncover the pot, and simmer until stock has reduced by half, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add carrot rounds, cover, and steam until tender but firm to the bite, 6 to 10 minutes.
• Carefully remove fish to a serving dish. Place 1 carrot slice on top of each fish ball. Pour broth over the fish balls and set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until broth gels, at least 2 hours.

MOCK GEFILTE FISH

Steps:

• Bring water and stock ingredients to a boil and simmer for half an hour.
• Meanwhile, grate onion and carrots, and mix with the chicken, eggs, and reserved stock. Add the matzo meal or bread crumbs and season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Form into medium-sized balls.
• Bring stock to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and add meat balls and parsley. Cover partially. Simmer for 2 hours.
• Place meat balls in a casserole dish. Reduce the stock to about half, strain, and pour over the meat balls. Top with cooked carrot slices.
• Cool thoroughly in the refrigerator.
• Serve with horseradish sauce.

GEFILTE FISH

Steps:

• To make the stock, place all the ingredients for the stock except the carrot slices in a two-quart souffle dish. Cover tightly with microwave plastic wrap. Cook at 100 percent power in a high-power oven for 30 minutes. Prick plastic.
• Remove from oven. Uncover and strain. Pour half of the stock back into dish. Set remaining broth aside. Add sliced carrots to the cooking dish. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Prick plastic to release steam.
• Remove from oven and uncover. Set aside.
• To make the fish mixture, place the fillets and onion in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients except gelatin and horseradish and process just until combined. Refrigerate until cold. With damp hands, shape mixture into eight plump ovals, about 1/4 cup each.
• Arrange the ovals in spoke fashion around the edge of a 14-by-11-by-2-inch oval dish. Remove carrots from broth with a slotted spoon and place in center of dish. Pour broth from the dish over all. Cover tightly with microwave plastic wrap, leaving a small vent in one corner. Cook for 10 minutes. Prick plastic.
• Place a small plate in the freezer (to use later to test gel of stock).
• Remove fish from oven. Uncover, and turn each piece over. Let fish cool in the broth for 30 minutes.
• Test the jelly by pouring a spoonful of broth onto the cold plate. Place the plate in the freezer for 1 minute. Broth should be firm. If it is not, place the reserved broth in a bowl and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon gelatin on top. Let stand for 2 minutes. Stir well and repeat test with chilled plate. If broth is still not firm, add another 1/2 teaspoon gelatin and repeat test.
• Place gefilte fish in the smallest deep container that can hold it in one layer. Cover with all of the broth. Chill fish and broth at least 24 hours.
• Serve gefilte fish chilled, with some of the jelled broth and carrots. Pass horseradish in a separate bowl.