The secret is that it's so easy to make, that I can't understand why people buy ready-made.
Mine is made already. Here's how:
I did a small batch, with about a half a kilo, 500 grams, that's just over a pound; say a pound and a quarter of ground fish. Any ground fish, carp, white, pike, either from a fish store or the freezer section of your local supermarket. The earth isn't going to swallow you up if you don't use white, or pike or whatever it says in your cookbook. In Israel we have different fish than the ones used in New York, and it's fine.
First slice an onion and put it in the pot (4 quart or liter) with water, about 1/3 the way up. Add some salt, pepper and sugar.
When it's heating up, grate, or blenderize or food processor or by hand another onion.
Add 2 eggs (done together in the blender).
mix, add more salt, pepper and sugar
then add between 1/4 and 1/2 cup matzah meal
mix
now for a secret, meatballs are done the same way, but with ground beef, or chicken or turkey or any combo
double spoon drop them into the boiling liquid
take a spoonful and round off with the second, then use the second to push it off the first into the "sauce" and while mentioning sauce, it could be tomato sauce for either meatballs or "Italian Gefilte Fish"
Top with sliced carrots. As soon as it starts boiling up, lower heat and cook (covered) for an hour.
See, it wasn't that hard. And you can "color" them by adding carrots for orange, or parsley for green.
Enjoy!
I admit, I had gotten a hold of some premade stuff and I haven't been able to try any ever again;). Perhaps if I find some nice person who makes there own I will try some once again;). I would make it myself but I wouldn't be able to convince my husband to have any.
ReplyDeleteTry the "Italilan" version, and give it an Italian-sounding name.
ReplyDeleteGefilte actually means "filled" or "stuffed". I actually found one recipe, in a Hungarian cookbook, which called for stitching the stretched ground fish back into the fishskin before cooking.
ReplyDeleteAlso note that gefilte fish is "soul food" - what we ate back in the bad times. Properly speaking, it should be boiled in a broth made with the fish head and bones; those nutrients were too valuable to waste.
You are right, but nowadays, instead of going to a good fish store, most of us end up buying frozen ground fish, which comes with neither head, nor the skin to stuff it back into. In days past, a good ballebuste, housewife, got to grind the fish herself. I tried it once. I don't mind getting it all ground.
ReplyDelete