You can make your own homemade gefilte fish just like your Bubbe used to make or you can fake it with a frozen loaf and doctor it up with this easy gefilte recipe. Either way we kow Bubbe will be proud and everyone will be cheering.
Gefilte fish is one of the most famous jewish cuisines. It is definitely a one of a kind dish. It originated from eastern Europe where bubbies would spend hours in the kitchen making the best gefilte fish from scratch for their families on special holidays like Passover and Rosh Hashana. Every family had their own special touch and unique way of making theirs the best. We asked several bubbies and used a traditional recipe. Does your bubbie make it slightly differently? Let us know. We’d love to know all the variations!
Homemade Gefilte Fish (from scratch)
Servings
Ingredients
- 2 Whole Fish Bones you can use a carp, a whitefish or a pike
- 1 Onion halved
- 2 Carrots chopped
- Parsley
- Lemon Slice
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- Hot Water enough to cover
- 4 Fish Fillets can use from the 2 whole fish above
- ½ an Onion
- Parsley
- 3 Eggs
- 2 tablespoons Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Matzo Meal
- 1 Beet grated
- 1 Horseradish grated
- ¼ cup Vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Sugar
Instructions
- Fillet 2 whole fish and save the bones. (Better to ask a fishmonger to do this step).
- In a big pot add the fish bones, onion, carrots, parsley, lemon, bay leaves and salt. Cover the ingredients with water. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cover and allow to simmer for 1 hour.
- In a food processor add the fish fillets and process until smooth. Add the onion and process again.
- Add the parsley, eggs, sugar, salt and pepper. Process well until smooth.
- Add the matzo meal 1/4 cup at a time until you reach a slightly grainy consistency that can be easily shaped.
- Shape the mixture into Gefilte fish. They will look like round ovals slightly flattened.
- Remove the fish bones from the broth and place all the gefilte fish inside. Don’t pack them too tightly as they will grow by about 50% in size.
- Cover and allow to simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Mix the beet-horseradish ingredients in a bowl. You should have approximately the same amount grated horseradish as beet.
- Plate the Gefilte fish and top with a piece of parsley and carrot on top. Pour some broth over the gefilte fish and serve with some of the beet-horseradish.
You can freeze the gefilte fish. It is better if you freeze it raw and ready to be boiled but it can also be frozen once cooked.
Please tell me how to keep this recipe for 2 weeks until it will be served. Is that possible?
Jamie, it is 2 weeks till I will use the gefilte fish I make. How can I store it and will it store for 2 weeks?
It’s about 3-4 pounds of fish without bones
Still need to know quantity of fish without bones please
I am not sure if that kind of fish would work for this recipe.
How much fish is that ground? I’m using already prepared ground baccala
You could use Amnon which is tilapia, it’s not fishy and it’s cheaper, but some people don’t like using it for environmental reasons. I would think Denis would be good, it’s pretty good in anything and not very fishy.
What is Denis?
It’s one of the most common fish in Israel, in English it is Seabream
Which is the least fishiest when making homemade gefilte fish?
I am really not sure, it might depend where you live, I would stay away from the more traditional Carp, it is fishy to me. In Israel I have used Nesichat Hanilus and sea bass.
I live in Israel so my choices are limited. In America I would have used white with something else but I don’t think there is whitefish in Israel