Gefilte Fish

Gefilte fish is one of the oldest dishes in the Ashkenazi Jewish repertoire, a Shabbat and Passover staple made by grinding freshwater fish with onions, eggs, and matzo meal, shaping into quenelle-like ovals, and poaching in fish stock.

The smart move this recipe makes is using the fish heads, skins, and bones to build the stock first. That’s where the gel comes from, the natural collagen that sets up when chilled and gives traditional gefilte fish its characteristic shimmery aspic. Skip the bones and you get boring poaching liquid.

Pike is the classic fish because of its clean, sweet flavour and high collagen content. Pairing it with a milder white fish (often carp or whitefish) balances the intensity. The mix is traditional in most Eastern European households.

Matzo meal works as the binder, giving the fish balls structure without weighing them down. Two eggs emulsify the paste into a smooth, light texture after cooking. Serve chilled with the strained stock jellied around the balls and bright pink horseradish on the side.

Kitchen Tips

• Ask your fishmonger to fillet the fish and save the skin, bones, and head, critical for stock body.
• Pulse the fish in the processor rather than running it continuously, over-processing turns the paste pasty.
• Wet your hands before shaping the balls, it prevents the mixture from sticking and makes neat ovals.
• Chill at least four hours, the flavour and texture both firm up noticeably overnight.

Variations

• Add a grated carrot or parsnip to the fish mixture for a slightly sweeter, more colourful ball.
• Sprinkle chopped dill or parsley over the top before serving for freshness.
• For a spicier edge, add a pinch of sugar and ground ginger to the stock, a classic debate in Jewish kitchens between sweet and savoury styles.