Swiss style Gefilte Fish with Khrein (horseradish)
Only once did I make a gefilte fish myself .
Towards the Passover of 2008 the Israeli Chefs Association announced a competition for gefilte fish. Although I'm a pastry artist and gefilte fish is not exactly a dessert, I decided to try. There was only one problem-I never made gefilte fish before. I turned to my wonderful Aunt Susie who gave me Grandmother Mamama's recipe. I won third place (photos from the competition at the end of the recipe).
12 large patties
500 g (net) fresh carp fish
3 eggs
3 medium onions
15 g sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup of tonic water (or soda)
70 g fine matzo flour
preparation:
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Remove head, tail and spine and save for the broth
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Grind the fish meat along with the 3 medium onions
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Add the eggs, sugar, salt and pepper.
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Add Matzo Flour - The mixture should be thick but still sticky
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Allow 20 minutes to set. Taste and complete seasoning.
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If the mixture is too dry, add some tonic water
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Divide into units of 80 grams
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Make oval patties 10 cm long and 6 cm wide and 1.5 cm thick
Broth
2 liters of water
Fish head, tail and spine
15 g sugar
Salt and white pepper, to taste
2 large onions, sliced
preparation:
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Boil water in a wide pot with head and fish bones.
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Remove the head and bones.
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Add salt, pepper and onion slices and boil again.
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Add the patties. Bring to another boil, and simmer for about an hour.
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Remove the patties and place on a serving dish.
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Drain the water to get as clear a gel as possible, reduce, and pour back over the patties.
Decoration
1 carrot
Tablespoon black pepper
Boil the carrots with the pepper seeds, and cook for 5 minutes on a low heat.
Slice into thin slices for decoration.
White Khrein (horseradish spread)
150 g fresh horseradish root
1/4 cup vinegar
Pinch of salt
50 g milk cream
preparation
Peel the root and cut to 4.
Grate thinly in a food processor.
Add the vinegar, salt and cream and stir.
Red Khrein
Add cooked red beet to the food processor while grating the horseradish.
To serve:
Serve the patties as a cold first course, decorated with carrots. The horseradish is served separately as a complimenting side dish.
Tip:
keep away as possible from the food processor when grating the horseradish, or wear a masc and glasses.
The Gefilte Fish Competition, Israeli Chefs Association 2008
