We can almost hear the sound of the mouse clicking to the next page or your index finger rolling down the scroll button... Gefilte fish—much less homemade gefilte fish—is not on most people's wish list. Passover is almost over, seder plates have been cleaned and put away, and we're talking gefilte fish? Well, we're hoping that maybe next year, when you're looking for a fresh alternative to the jarred stuff, you might find your way back here. Because this recipe is easy and delicious. (Why, hello. Are you still reading?)
Even for Jews who grew up eating it, gefilte fish can be an acquired taste. It's got a strong flavor, a lot of onion, and a mushy texture that turns a lot of people off. The floating balls stuffed in the jar are downright offensive to me, personally.
But. I have a half-Jewish/half-Christian family, and I wanted Easter brunch to represent both sides of my heritage. I also had the itch for a project (much like Faith and her cake decorating). I was watching Jewish cookbook author Joan Nathan on the Martha Stewart show, and she was making a gefilte fish loaf. In a bundt pan! No shaping individual patties, and therefore not nearly as much work (although not exactly traditional). It looked downright easy, and the finished product was fluffy, bright, and beautiful.
Technically, this is a gefilte fish "pâté," as Nathan calls it, because it's not shaped into patties. But it is really, really easy. The hardest part is finding the fish. You'll need fresh whitefish (an easy one in New York City) and pike (not so). I found both at Citarella, and the kind man behind the counter de-boned them for me.
Then you simply grind the fish in a food processor, throw it in a standing mixer, and mix it with cooked onions, eggs, matzoh meal, carrots, water, and seasonings. It bakes for two hours in a water bath and flops out of the bundt pan so quickly and easily I almost dropped the whole platter on the floor. I wasn't ready for the thud.
The flavor is, indeed, that of gefilte fish. If you don't like the stuff, this isn't going to make you a convert. But it's got a much more mellow, less fishy taste than the jarred variety, and the texture is light and airy. It makes a ton (an entire bundt pan, obviously), so make sure you have a gefilte-loving crowd.
• Here's the recipe: Gefilte Fish Pâté, from Joan Nathan (via Martha Stewart)
Related: The Food Traditions of Passover
(Images: Elizabeth Passarella)
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I have to say -- recipe sounds great, but gefilte fish in the shape of a bundt pan is a total turn off. It's hard enough to sell GF as is without making it look like a jello mold o-fish!
Gefilte fish = love, as long as it isn't coated in the gelatinous goop from the jar, but I suspect that this recipe is no better -- and definitely more labor intensive -- than the pre-made loaves that are available in the kosher-food section of the supermarket freezer. Just boil the frozen loaf (I like Unger's best, though fans of sweeter fish might prefer Benz's) with carrots and onions, according to the instructions on the label, and voila! instant gefilte, just like mom makes!
I, too, am a big fan of Ungar's. Unfortunately, it is rather expensive here and the closest place to buy it is an hour away. I have been toying with the idea of making my own for some time now, so thanks for the inspiration!
I'm going to copy and paste this recipe for next year. No guarantees that I'll make it though. I can't even bring myself to saying the words GF for fear of bringing back nightmares from my youth...
But it sounds good.
If you're going to loaf it, I think I would prefer mine square in a bread pan, more than a bundt-cake looking pan, then, the slices are more like meatloaf than "cake."
i love the look of a bundt pan! it reminds me of retro kitsch-y jello molds, so cute!
My mother gets these frozen raw loafs that she boils with her own carrots and, oddly, sweet n low. But this year, she attempted a salmon pate, essentially this dish, last week for lunch and it was quite good. Aunt always goes for the jar of jelly variety.. ick.
I'm spoiled for life, having grown up eating my aunts homemade gefilte fish. The snotty-looking jarred stuff is hoovered straight from the fridge by my in-laws, the colder the better. Feh. Much as I'd love to make it for seders, they'd never touch it; they're afraid of food that's not made in a factory. It's taken 12 years to get them to warm up to my desserts (but I still see them scanning the table for a purchased babka or some bakery cookies!)