Supper Club V: Not Quite the Carp in the Bathtub
When I was putting together the menu for my Jewish Soul Food Supper Club I had some trouble figuring out what to open with. Initially I was considering making homemade bagels, but I decided that having challah was a better use of my carb budget. Then I thought I'd lead with matzo ball soup. Finally I opted to go really authentic and make my own gefilte fish. I figured that even if it was a disaster it would give my sister ample opportunities to make Carp in the Bathtub jokes.
As it turns out, the recipe I found was dead simple, and tasty to boot. I'll be making this again.
Gefilte Fish
Chow.com
2 quarts (8 cups) fish stock
1 medium yellow onion, large dice
1/2 medium carrot, peeled and large dice (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 medium parsnip, peeled and large dice (about 1/3 cup)
2 1/2 pound mix of skinned white mild-flavored fish fillets (such as cod, halibut, pike, or grouper), pin bones removed
1/3 cup matzo meal
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon packed finely grated lemon zest (from about 1 medium lemon)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1. Place the fish stock in a large, wide stockpot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and maintain a low simmer.
2. Place the onion, carrot, and parsnip in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Process until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Cut the fish into 1-1/2-inch pieces. Place half of the fish in the food processor and process until a ball has formed (it'll look kind of like an orange nerf ball), about 45 seconds. Transfer the ball to the large bowl with the vegetables and repeat with the remaining fish.
4. Sprinkle the fish mixture with the matzo meal. Add the eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and measured salt and pepper.
5. Using clean hands, mix until combined (don’t squeeze or overwork). Using wet hands and a 1/4-cup measure, form the fish mixture into 2-inch-long ovals. Place on a plate or baking sheet.
6. Working in batches, gently place the ovals in the simmering stock, being careful not to crowd the pot. Cover with a tightfitting lid and simmer until firm and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
7. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the ovals from the stock and transfer to a clean baking sheet to cool. Repeat 6 & 7 with the remaining ovals.
8. Pour the stock through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large heatproof bowl, discarding the solids. Allow the stock to cool to room temperature.
9. Place the gefilte fish in a large container with a tightfitting lid. Pour in the cooled fish stock, making sure the gefilte fish are submerged. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
We originally intended to make this Friday night, but we ran out of time. Fortunately, it really is as simple as the recipe makes it sound. Our fish was a mixture of cod and walleye, as recommended by my oh so cool colleague at the Market. As promised, the recipe made exactly 24 pieces of gefilte fish, so scaling it down to a smaller amount should be pretty simple.
The recipe also gave instructions on how to do a sample piece to test the flavor, but we didn't bother. It tasted really good anyway. We served it up on small plates with fresh horseradish from Rita's in the West Side Market, which was not beet red but was otherwise completely authentically powerful. The consensus of those people who had previously had gefilte fish was that it was the best gefilte fish they'd ever had. The consensus of those people who had not previously had gefilte fish was "well, that was interesting."
Of all the dishes in the meal, this was the one I was most concerned would be a disaster, mostly because I didn't know anyone who had actually made gefilte fish at home. While not everybody finished, that was because gefilte fish is an acquired taste and not because it was horrible. I'll certainly make it again if I host a seder or similar such meal.
Anyway, after gefilte fish we moved on to something that was met with wider acclaim...
As it turns out, the recipe I found was dead simple, and tasty to boot. I'll be making this again.
Gefilte Fish
Chow.com
2 quarts (8 cups) fish stock
1 medium yellow onion, large dice
1/2 medium carrot, peeled and large dice (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 medium parsnip, peeled and large dice (about 1/3 cup)
2 1/2 pound mix of skinned white mild-flavored fish fillets (such as cod, halibut, pike, or grouper), pin bones removed
1/3 cup matzo meal
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon packed finely grated lemon zest (from about 1 medium lemon)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1. Place the fish stock in a large, wide stockpot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and maintain a low simmer.
2. Place the onion, carrot, and parsnip in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Process until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Cut the fish into 1-1/2-inch pieces. Place half of the fish in the food processor and process until a ball has formed (it'll look kind of like an orange nerf ball), about 45 seconds. Transfer the ball to the large bowl with the vegetables and repeat with the remaining fish.
4. Sprinkle the fish mixture with the matzo meal. Add the eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and measured salt and pepper.
5. Using clean hands, mix until combined (don’t squeeze or overwork). Using wet hands and a 1/4-cup measure, form the fish mixture into 2-inch-long ovals. Place on a plate or baking sheet.
6. Working in batches, gently place the ovals in the simmering stock, being careful not to crowd the pot. Cover with a tightfitting lid and simmer until firm and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
7. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the ovals from the stock and transfer to a clean baking sheet to cool. Repeat 6 & 7 with the remaining ovals.
8. Pour the stock through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large heatproof bowl, discarding the solids. Allow the stock to cool to room temperature.
9. Place the gefilte fish in a large container with a tightfitting lid. Pour in the cooled fish stock, making sure the gefilte fish are submerged. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
We originally intended to make this Friday night, but we ran out of time. Fortunately, it really is as simple as the recipe makes it sound. Our fish was a mixture of cod and walleye, as recommended by my oh so cool colleague at the Market. As promised, the recipe made exactly 24 pieces of gefilte fish, so scaling it down to a smaller amount should be pretty simple.
The recipe also gave instructions on how to do a sample piece to test the flavor, but we didn't bother. It tasted really good anyway. We served it up on small plates with fresh horseradish from Rita's in the West Side Market, which was not beet red but was otherwise completely authentically powerful. The consensus of those people who had previously had gefilte fish was that it was the best gefilte fish they'd ever had. The consensus of those people who had not previously had gefilte fish was "well, that was interesting."
Of all the dishes in the meal, this was the one I was most concerned would be a disaster, mostly because I didn't know anyone who had actually made gefilte fish at home. While not everybody finished, that was because gefilte fish is an acquired taste and not because it was horrible. I'll certainly make it again if I host a seder or similar such meal.
Anyway, after gefilte fish we moved on to something that was met with wider acclaim...