Grandmother Rivka’s Gefilte Fish

By Harry {doc} Babad, © Copyright 2012, All Rights Reserved.

A recipe from Helene (Babad) Markus and Rivka Babad [deceased]

(Rough Draft Received from Helene on October 18, 2011)

Gefilte fish (/ɡəˈfɪltə fɪʃ/, from Yiddish: געפֿילטע פֿיש, “stuffed fish”) is a poached minced fish dish.

 

Background

More common since the Second World War are the Polish patties, similar to quenelles or fish balls, made from a mixture of ground-deboned fish mostly carp or pike. They are popular in the Ashkenazi Jewish community and are typically eaten on Shabbat and Holidays such as Passover, although it can be consumed throughout the year.Traditionally, carp, pike, mullet, or whitefish were used to make gefilte fish, but more recently other fish with white flesh such as Nile Perch have been used, and there is a pink variation using salmon. There are even vegan variations.

Ingredients require selecting a fish that is preferably at least 3 kilograms (6.6 lb.) in weight. Also required are 1 kilogram (2.2 lb.) of brown cooking onions, 200 milliliters (6.8 US fl. oz.) of vegetable oil (traditionally sunflower oil), salt, pepper, and five eggs.

The fish is deboned and the flesh mixed with ‘fill’ ingredients, including breadcrumbs or matzah meal, and fried onion. Cooking takes as much as 3 hours.

Due to the general poverty of the Jewish population in Eastern Europe, the ‘economic’ recipe for the above also may have included extra ground and soaked matzah meal or bread crumbs creating many more “spare” fish balls. This form of preparation eliminated the need for picking out fish bones at the table, and “stretched” the fish further, so that even poor, but often large, families could enjoy fish on Shabbat.

Variations — Gefilte fish may be slightly sweet or savory.  Preparation of gefilte fish with sugar or black pepper is considered an indicator of whether a Jewish community was Galitzianer (with sugar) or Litvak (with pepper); hence the boundary separating northern from southern East Yiddish has been dubbed “the Gefilte Fish Line”. This is largely attributed to less availability of fresh fish in the inland areas before refrigeration, with the sugar used to ‘mask’ the sometimes less-than-fresh taste of the fish. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gefilte_fish.

 Although a long and somewhat complex cooking process, the end product is well worth the effort – you never go back to commercial again.

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INGREDIENTS

• 4-5 Lb Carp
• Add one large onion, medium chopped
• 7 whole almonds
• 1 stalk celery coarsely cut –or- use celery seed
• 1 tsp salt [ok to use Kosher Salt]
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1-½ Tbs sugar
• 1 Cup water <3 X>
• 7 almonds
• 1 slice dry white bread
• 1 medium onion
  
• 1 – 2 large eggs
• A Dash or more of white pepper
• 1 Tbs sugar
• A Dash salt

DIRECTIONS 

1. Take a 4 – 5 lb. clean-gutted-descaled whole carp that you’ve skinned and boned. Keep these ‘offal’ parts for the jellied broth. In my family, whitefish was added to the carp when carp was too expensive.
2. Grind or chop the carp flesh to medium coarseness. We traditionally used a cast iron hand grinder, which, now to my regret, I tossed when it became too rusty to clean.
3. Add the washed fish bones, head + skin + head into a 4 quart pot to make the fish broth.
   1. Add one large onion, medium chopped
   2. Add 7 whole almonds
   3. Add 1 stalk celery coarsely cut –or- use celery seed
   4. Add 1 tsp salt [ok to use Kosher Salt]
   5. Add 1 tsp pepper
   6. Add 1-½ Tbs sugar
   7. Add 1 Cup water <3 X> and let the broth simmer 1 hour
   8. Pour off liquid and set a side for the broth – Repeat this step twice to extract the gelatin and captured flavors.
   9. With an added cup of fresh water – simmer the skin and bones another hour, pour off liquid and KEEP the broth [Use a total of three cups of water for these three ‘extractions’.]
   10. Strain the liquid and return to the pot – toss the boiled bones and remaining fish stuff.
4. Carp Balls/Klops – prepare these while the broth is boiling. Add to a food processor:
   1. 7 almonds – to be ground
   2. 1 – 2 large eggs
   3. 1 slice dry white bread – to grind
   4. 1 medium onion – to be ground, grated or chopped very fine — Oy Veh!, your poor eyes!
   5. A Dash or more of white pepper
   6. 1 Tbs sugar
   7. A Dash salt
   8. Add all the liquid and dry ingredients together use 2-3 Tbs water, if needed to create a soft dough-like mixture.
   9. Into a large mixing bowl add ground fill mixture and ground carp meat – mix together and put into the refrigerator for the flavors to combine while the bones are being extracted
5. Cooking the Klops:
   1. Heat the 3 Cups of strained liquid to boiling, just a gentle simmer
   2. Add 1lb of baby carrots/or peel and slice large carrots to the broth.
   3. Add fish mixture, which you have hand formed into balls. The mix is very soft so add it with a slotted spoon, to avoid their breaking. Put only a single layer at a time into the liquid
   4. Slow boil/simmer one hour — transfer the cooked gefilte balls to small storage containers.  - And prepare next batch of Carp mix [makes two or three total batches]
   5. Once all the fish is cooked distribute the broth and cooked carrots into the containers + close tightly.

Tips

• The Gefilte Fish will keep 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator, and of course the broth will jell just fine!
• Serve with red horseradish or beet horseradish sauce if you can find it.
• If not link to: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Beet-Horseradish-Sauce-109339

 

Recipe Variations, Images and Serving Suggestions

Traditional gefelte fish with horseradish  =>

 

 

 <<= Salmon Gefilte Fish

 

 

Beet Horseradish ‘Sauce’  =>

 

 

 

… And then there’s the Gefilte Fish Cup Cake with Charset -Horseradish icing

May the New Year bring you joy – health – and G-d’s Forgiveness

“L’Shanah Tovah”                Happy New Year

Kosher Split Pea and Turkey Ham Soup

By Harry {doc} Babad, © Copyright 2012, All Rights Reserved.

Background

The original recipe used both a ham bone to make ham stock and a diced ham steak for the soup. As years passed, I used a split ham hock for flavor, removing the meat and a bit of the fat for the soup. Note both of this methods required tasting while making the stock, to avoid over adding salt.

In deference to my Kosher keeping friends and my wife who eats no red meant. The recipe evolved to broth and turkey ham. Drastically adapted from, if I remember correctly, Cook’s Illustrated Magazine or something else I read, by me ca. 1970.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 quarts water or Chicken brother {for a Richer Flavor) 
• 3 dried Turkish bay leaves
• 14 oz. yellow or green split peas, rinsed and picked through
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, plus a pinch
• 2-3 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 2 -3 large garlic cloves, minced or their water-garlic equivalent
• 2 cups new potatoes cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups Turkey ham cut into bite-sized pieces
• salt and medium ground pepper to taste
• ¼ tsp chili flakes, Optional but good!
• Optional Garnishes — Paper thin sliced red onion or even cucumber for serving

DIRECTIONS

Vegetables

1. Sauté, on low heat, the chopped onions, celery and garlic in olive oil {30 minutes} until golden brown or even caramelized, This takes PATIENCE, but the flavor is worth it!
2. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of dried thyme and simmer a few minutes more to bring out the thyme flavor. Set aside.

Cooking the Peas

1. Bring the water or broth and bay leaves to a boil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven.
2. Lower the heat medium-low, then add the split peas, thyme and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour; removing bean froth as it comes to the surface.
4. Uncover the pot and continue to simmer covered for 15 minutes or until the peas are cooked and tender.

Finishing It All Up

1. Add the potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes more.
2. Add the vegetables and ham pieces to the soup, then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to blend the flavors.
3. Taste for seasoning and serve.

Notes:

• This soup tasted even better reheated the next day, after being refrigerated!
• Another variation is to run the soup through the blender, adding more broth is needed to thin it, refrigerate and serve cold, with a green salad!
• When I’m not cooking Kosher, but using the turkey ham, I use 4 Tbs butter to sautée/caramelize/brown the vegetables instead of olive or canola oil.
• When using a ham hock or ham bone, after cooling just a bit, but before serving, skim any fat off the surface if desired.

Beef Rib and French Onion Soup

By Mike Hubbartt, © Copyright 2012, All Rights Reserved.

I love French Onion soup and already posted one of my recipes on this site. I recently started adding a beef rib to the soup to add more texture, flavor, make it even more of a comforting side dish. This recipe, like my other french onion soup recipe, is calorie conscious, so please remember that portion sizes are relevant. This dish takes 4 – 5 hours to come together, but it smells wonderful and so letting it simmer 6 – 10 hrs makes the house smell great while enhancing the flavors.

As with my other french onion soup recipe, be sure to hold off adding the bread crumbs and cheese until you are ready to serve. I use one of our mandolins to thin slice the onions, as it is a fast way to consistently thin slice many onions. If you don’t have Vidalia onions, substitute yellow or white onions.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6)

• 3 lbs Vidalia Onions (408 cal)
• 2 tbsp butter (204 cal)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (238 cal)
• 2 cloves diced garlic (8 cal)
• 6 oz boneless beef rib (432 cal)
• 6 tsp beef base (or 6 beef bullion cubes) (60 cal)
• 6 cups water (0 cal)
• 1/2 cup cooking sherry (75 cal)
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce (22 cal)
• 1 tsp dry thyme (4 cal)
• 2 tbsp flour (103 cal)
• 4 pieces bread (4 * 70 = 280 cal)
• 6 oz grated mozzarella cheese (255 cal)

Calories: 408 + 204 + 238 + 8 + 432 + 60 + 75 + + 22 + 4 + 103 + 280 + 255 = 2089 / 6 servings = 349 cal/svg

DIRECTIONS

1. Put a large dutch oven on the stove and set the burner to medium high (~ 6 1/2). Add 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan.
2. Peel and thin slice 3 lbs of Vidalia onions, then add to the dutch oven. Stir occasionally and cook for 30 – 35 minutes.
3. Add 2 cloves of diced garlic to the onions, stir to blend in and cook for a minute.
4. Add 1/2 cup cooking sherry and 1 tsp thyme to the onions, stir and cook for a minute.
5. Add 2 tbsp flour to the onions, stir, then add 6 tsp of beef base and 6 cups of water.
6. Reduce heat but continue a low boil for 1 1/2 hours – do not cover the dutch oven, as you want to reduce the liquid.
7. Season a 6 oz boneless beef rib with salt and pepper, spray a pan with cooking spray and brown both sides of the rib – it should take about 10 min with the burner set to med-high (~ 6 1/2).
8. Put the rib and 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce in the dutch and cook another 2 – 3 hrs.
9. Toast 2 pieces of bread, cut the toast into small cubes, and set them aside.
10. Fine grade 6 oz of mozzarella cheese, and set it aside.
11. Remove the rib from the soup and cut it into small pieces, then add the pieces back to the dutch oven.
12. Remove the lid from the dutch oven and let simmer 15 – 30 minutes.
13. Ladle 1 cup of the mix into a bowl, then top with 1/6 of the bread crumbs and 1/6 of the cheese and serve.