Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
1,000 Jewish Recipes (142 page)
The term "gefilte" fish means "filled" fish in Yiddish. Originally a ground fish mixture was used as a stuffing for whole fish. Today gefilte fish is usually made into balls or oval shapes. It is poached in fish stock made from the heads and bones of the fish.
A mixture of carp, pike, and whitefish is the most common choice for making gefilte fish. Using several fish gives a more complex taste than a single fish. Adding carp also helps to jell the cooking liquid, and this aspic (savory jelled sauce) is prized in some families. Some cooks use cod, haddock, sea bass, or even salmon. In Israel carp is often mixed with mullet or hake.
When I was growing up, my mother filleted the fish, ground it in a grinder, and then chopped it in a wooden chopping bowl. It was a lot of work but she still made it quite often. Now making gefilte fish is easy. You can have the fish filleted at the store; just be sure to ask for the head and bones. Some stores will even grind the fish for you, or you can grind it in a food processor.
There are different styles of seasoning gefilte fish. Many people add sugar, and you can also find gefilte fish flavored with sugar in jars. My mother never adds sugar. I still prefer gefilte fish that is not too sweet, but this version does taste good with a little sugar added to the stock and to the fish mixture.
Serve gefilte fish the traditional way, accompanied by horseradish prepared with beets. If you like, prepare your own
horseradish
.
2 pounds whitefish (including bones and head), filleted, skin removed, bones and head reserved
2 pounds carp (including bones and head), filleted, skin removed, bones and head reserved
2 pounds pike (including bones and head), filleted, skin removed, bones and head reserved
3 large eggs
1
â
4
cup cold water
2 to 3 tablespoons matzo meal
2 large onions, finely chopped
2
1
â
2
teaspoons salt
3
â
4
teaspoon ground pepper, preferably white
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
2 large carrots, sliced
1.
Use heads and bones of fish to make fish stock. If skin of fish has not been removed at the store, remove it: Set a fillet on a board, skin side down. Slip blade of a flexible knife between flesh and skin at tail end. Remove skin, sliding knife away from you with one hand and pulling off skin with other. Run your fingers over fish fillets and remove any small bones remaining in flesh. Cut fish into large pieces.
2.
Grind fish in batches in a food processor until very fine. Transfer to a large bowl. Add eggs, water, 2 tablespoons matzo meal, onion, salt, pepper, and
1
â
4
teaspoon sugar, if using. Mix very well. If mixture is too soft to be formed into balls, add another tablespoon matzo meal. Mix well.
3.
Add carrots and remaining
3
â
4
teaspoon sugar, if using, to strained stock and bring to a simmer. If you would like to taste the fish mixture for seasoning, shape a teaspoonful of it into a small ball and poach it for 5 minutes in the stock; remove it with a slotted spoon and taste it. Add more salt and pepper to the mixture if you like. Mix well.
4.
With moistened hands, shape fish mixture into ovals or balls, using
1
â
4
to
1
â
3
cup mixture for each one. Carefully drop fish balls into simmering stock. If necessary, add enough hot water to barely cover them, pouring it carefully near edge of pan, not over fish. Return to a simmer, cover, and simmer over low heat about 1 hour. Let gefilte fish cool in stock. Refrigerate fish and carrots in stock for at least 4 hours before serving.
5.
Serve each fish ball topped with a carrot slice. If you like, serve a little of the jelled stock on the side.
Serve this delicate salad of steamed sole with a lemon-mint vinaigrette as a first course. For Shabbat lunch in the summertime, it makes a refreshing main course. If you're serving it for other occasions, try serving the sole warm; it makes a pleasant contrast with the cool vegetables.
1
1
â
4
to 1
1
â
2
pounds sole fillets
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
6 cups of bite-size pieces green or red-tipped leaf lettuce or mixed baby lettuces, rinsed and dried thoroughly
1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1
â
2
cup pitted black olives
1 lemon, halved and thinly sliced
1.
Prepare vinaigrette. Then, bring at least 1 inch of water to a boil in a steamer. Boiling water should not reach holes in top part of steamer.
2.
Run your fingers over sole fillets to check for bones; pull out any bones using tweezers or a sharp paring knife.
3.
Sprinkle sole on both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with mint, using a total of about
1
â
2
tablespoon. Fold each fillet in half. Sprinkle top with remaining
1
â
2
tablespoon mint. Set sole on top portion of a steamer over boiling water, cover, and cook over high heat about 2 minutes or until fillets become opaque. Transfer them to a plate.
4.
Mix lettuce with red and yellow peppers, mint, and parsley in a bowl. Whisk dressing. Add about
1
â
4
cup dressing to salad and toss to combine well. Add more dressing if needed. Adjust seasoning.
5.
To serve, transfer salad to a platter. Arrange sole fillets on top. Whisk dressing again and spoon a little dressing over sole. Garnish with olives. Arrange lemon slices around outer edge of platter. Serve cold.
A steaming pot of couscous appears on the tables of many Tunisian Jews for Shabbat. Here's a colorful, tasty alternative for Shabbat meals when the weather is hot.
1
â
4
cup slivered almonds
1 cup quick-cooking couscous
3 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt (optional) and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1
â
2
red onion, chopped fine
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1
â
2
pound smoked whitefish, skinned and boned
1
â
3
long (hothouse) cucumber, large seeds removed, diced
1
â
4
cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1.
Preheat toaster oven or oven to 350°F. Toast almonds in oven about 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate.
2.
Meanwhile, bring 1
1
â
4
cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in couscous and return to boil. Remove from heat, immediately cover pan tightly, and let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer couscous to a bowl. Fluff with fork. Let cool.
3.
Whisk lemon juice with 2 tablespoons oil in a small bowl. Add pepper to taste. Drizzle dressing over couscous and mix gently with a fork. Add red onion, bell pepper, whitefish, cucumber, and parsley. Toss salad gently. Season with pepper; add salt if needed. If you like, add another tablespoon oil. Serve sprinkled with almonds.
There are many versions of this tasty Moroccan-Jewish Shabbat specialty. Most combine tomatoes with hot pepper in some form, either as fresh or dried chiles or as hot red pepper flakes. Cumin, garlic, and parsley usually appear, often with onions and cilantro. For a more substantial version, some cooks add potatoes. The dish can be made with whole fish, fish steaks, or fillets.
1 teaspoon ground cumin
8 large cloves garlic, minced
1
â
2
cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
2 pounds halibut, cod, or sea bass steaks or fillets, 1-inch thick
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped, or more if you like (see Note)
1
1
â
2
pounds ripe plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1.
Combine cumin, half the garlic, and half the parsley in a small bowl. Add salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne, if using. Put fish on a plate. Spread spice mixture over the fish on both sides. Let stand to marinate while preparing vegetables.
2.
Put onion and jalapeño peppers in a large sauté pan. Top with a layer of tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with fish in one layer and add any spice mixture remaining on the plate. Top fish with any remaining tomato slices. Pour oil evenly over top. Sprinkle with remaining garlic and 2 tablespoons of remaining parsley.
3.
Bring liquid barely to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat about 15 minutes or until fish can be easily flaked with a fork.
4.
If you would like sauce to be thicker, remove fish and vegetables with a slotted spatula. Boil liquid to reduce it until slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning. Spoon sauce over fish. Serve fish hot or cold, sprinkled with remaining parsley.
Note:
Wear rubber gloves when handling hot peppers.
Salmon in a sweet-and-sour sauce has become a favorite on the American Jewish table. Originally prepared with carp by Jews in Eastern Europe, it is now preferred by many in this newer version. It's light, colorful, and easy to make.