"gefilte fish" news and stories

Indefatigable food scout and award-winning food writer Robb Walsh recently sussed out a dish that's enthralling Seder celebrants across the Houston metro area -- jalapeño gefilte fish.

Gefilte fish, which traditionally graces Passover tables, is a dish equally adored and derided for its staunchly mellow flavor. The mix of ground carp – or other cheap, white-fleshed fish -- onions and matzo meal got its start as a stuffing, but long ago morphed into a patty preparation. While the fish is typically boiled with carrots and celery, even gefilte fish lovers admit the taste is subtle, which is why many eaters pound all the horseradish they can into their servings.

But Rustika Café owner Leo Reznick goes one better, spiking his gefilte fish with hot peppers. "The green pepper strips adorning this gefilte fish were actually jalapeños rajas, and they were hot as hell in August," Walsh reported in the Houston Press. "Why had I never heard of Mexican gefilte fish before? The spicy/fishy flavor slowly percolated through my flavor memory, shattering my Passover preconceptions."

Though some Jewish food mavens may beg to differ, we think few dishes are as associated with the children of Israel as gefilte fish. While not as easy-to-love as blintzes, as versatile as horseradish or as soothing as chicken soup, the ubiquitous balls of ground fish make a fine appetizer for almost any holiday meal.

Gefilte fish, which takes its name from gefüllte, the German word for "stuffed," was traditionally made using finely ground pike or carp mixed with eggs, onion, flour, seasonings and either matzoh meal or challah bread. It was then packed into the skin of a deboned fish, poached with onions and carrots, chilled and sliced. Today gefilte fish is typically formed into patties and served cold. It is often preserved in a jellied fish broth and commonly accompanied by horseradish and a slice of carrot.

While gefilte fish isn't one of the symbolic foods on the Passover Seder Plate, it is a traditional part of the meal in many households. Part of its popularity lies in the cultural significance underlying its preparation: Since one can buy it deboned, it doesn't require work at the table, which means that it can be eaten during the Sabbath when work is forbidden. Another benefit is that fish is parve, so kosher consumers can eat it on the same plate with either meat or dairy foods.

Another reason for the aqueous critter's lingering popularity lies in its economy. Originally developed in Europe's Ashkenazi Jewish community, gefilte fish balls incorporated cereals and fillers to stretch the fish itself. The fish was class-free -- accessible enough for the poorest member of a community, yet glitzy enough for the most wealthy.

Today gefilte fish continues to be a popular and enduring cultural motif. On one end of the spectrum, enterprising chefs like Wolfgang Puck are finding ways to make it more exciting; on the other, a strong market for the traditional ground fish and stuffing survives. Brett Werner, manager of Miami Beach's popular Roasters' n Toasters deli, estimates that his store has sold approximately 200 quarter-pound pieces of the fish for this year's Passover already!

How do you feel about gefilte fish?

Saturday afternoon, Scott and I picked up my great-aunt Belle and drove out to my cousin's house for my family's Seder dinner. It was Scott's first Seder and Belle's 90th, so she gave him a quick rundown of what expect on the way out there. The Seder dinner was moderately traditional, starting out with a shortened Haggadah gefilte fish and matzo ball soup (the addition of fresh dill made the matzo balls particularly delicious) and then ending with roasted lamb, string beans and matzo kugel.

It was the first time that Scott tasted gefilte fish, and when the verdict was that it wasn't too bad at all. Our gefilte fish was nice looking, but not quite as lovely as the stuff you see above. Thanks for the picture, C(h)ristine!

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Passover begins on Monday at sundown, and Martha Stewart has planned four menus in celebration - a Traditional Seder Dinner, Spring Celebration, Passover Dessert Buffet, and a Passover Brunch.

Even if you aren't planning to prepare kosher food or host a Passover feast yourself, the site is worth checking out anyways as there are a number of absolutely delicious-sounding meal ideas (complete with some pretty fabulous photos) which you could easily incorporate into your own menu planning.

Just a small sampling of her recipes include Gefilte Fish with Fresh Beet Horseradish, (as pictured, above), Grilled Asparagus with Caramelized Shallot Vinaigrette, Matzo Ball Soup, Profiteroles with Caramelized Bananas, and Passion Fruit Mimosas. You can view the full menus via the link below.

(photo credit: MarthaStewart.com, used with permission)

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