Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 pounds carp (note that Ranch 99 Asian supermarket and many Chinese grocery stores frequently carry live carp – if you can get these, by all means do so!)
- 2 1/2 pounds whitefish
- 3 pounds yellow pike – all fish filleted and coarsely ground (your fishmonger can do this for you), making sure to save the heads (split), bones and skin from each fish!
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
- Several sprigs fresh thyme, parsley and tarragon
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 inch chunk of fresh ginger, cut into pieces
- 1 leek, split, cleaned and chopped
- Several lightly cracked peppercorns
- 4 quarts cold bottled water or to just cover
- 3 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 3 onions, peeled
- 4 medium carrots, peeled
- 4 tablespoons sugar or to taste
- 1 small parsnip, chopped
- 3 to 4 large eggs
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup cold bottled water (approximately)
- 1/3 cup matzo meal (approximately)
Instructions
- Place the reserved bones, skin, and fish heads in a wide, very large pot with a cover.
- Add the water, carrots, leek, celery, herbs, ginger, bay leaves, peppercorns and 2 teaspoons of the salt and bring to a boil. Remove the foam that accumulates.
- Place the ground fish in a bowl. In a food processor, finely chop the remaining onions, the remaining carrot, and the parsnip; or mince them by hand. Add the chopped vegetables to the ground fish.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, the remaining teaspoon of salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cold water, and mix thoroughly. Stir in enough matzo meal to make a light, soft mixture that will hold its shape. Wet your hands with cold water, and scooping up about ¼ cup of fish, form the mixture into oval shapes about 3 inches long.
- Remove from the pot and discard the skins, heads, and bones and return the stock to a simmer. Gently place the fish patties in the simmering fish stock. Cover loosely and simmer for 60 minutes. Taste the liquid while the fish is cooking and add seasoning to taste.
- Shake the pot periodically so the Gefilte patties won’t stick together. Strain out the gefilte, then reduce the stock by 50%. Add the gefilte balls back in, allow the stock to cool, then chill all in the refrigerator in the same pot.
- Slice 1 onion in rounds and add along with 3 of the carrots in a pot with water. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, then remove the carrots and allow to cool.
- Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the gefilte fish and arrange on a platter. Strain some of the stock over the fish, saving the rest in a bowl for another use.
- Slice the cooked carrots into rounds cut on a diagonal about ¼ inch thick. Place a carrot round on top of each gefilte fish patty. Serve with a sprig of parsley plus grated horseradish.
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
