Salmon Gefilte Fish

Sukkot is the Biblical Thanksgiving and happy holiday to those celebrating! In fact, the Pilgrims were inspired by Sukkot when they celebrated the first Thanksgiving with their Potawatomi neighbors. The harvest is fêted by cooking great vegetables and savory meats, poultry and fish. Most meals are eaten in a sukkah, a temporary outdoor structure. Easy to eat foods are favorites. Click here for a sample menu. Enjoy!

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When I was a little girl, my grandmother would come to my house for holidays and make gefilte fish, a classic Ashkenazi dish that varies a bit depending on what part of Europe you were from. The heavy iron grinder was attached to the kitchen table. I was allowed to help grind the fish, onions and carrots and then ushered out of the kitchen because my grandmother didn’t like little sous chefs underfoot! The smells of the kitchen then and now were, well, a fishy smell which smells like gefilte fish!

Remembering the long time it took to make gefilte fish, I admit for years I bought it in jars and then switched to the frozen loaves, much better. Recovering from knee surgery, I had time at home and decided to try this traditional dish. With my food processer, the prep was easier, faster and cleaner. I especially like salmon gefilte fish and therefore, used salmon in the mixture. The results were fabulous! I sent some over to a neighbor for lunch and she came over to tell me how she loved it so more than the store bought! Now that I’ve made it and survived, I’ll be making it again.

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Salmon Gefilte Fish

Yield 36 fish patties

1 pound salmon fillets

1 to 1 1/2 pounds cod or other white fish such as pike, carp, flounder, tipapia, sole or halibut

1 large onion

1 large carrot, peeled

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 large eggs

½ cup matzah meal

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons water

10 cups fish or vegetable stock

3-4 tablespoons dried dill weed for garnish

Remove skin from fish. Cut into 2”-3” pieces. Place in food processor and pulse until roughly ground, with some texture remaining. You will need to do this is in separate stages. Don’t overload! Remove from bowl and reserve. If you don’t have a food processor, mash with a fork until roughly ground.
Rough chop onion, carrot, celery. Pulse in food processor until some texture remains. If doing this by hand, mince vegetables. Drain vegetables if there is a lot of liquid. Add eggs, matzah meal, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir until combined.
If the mixture is too dry, add a bit of water. If too wet, add a bit more matzah meal.
Refrigerate salmon mixture for 30 minutes or up to overnight, if you wish to prep the day before.
Heat stock in a large pot until the liquid begins to boil.
Dampen your hands with water. If the mixture is too wet, add a bit more matzah meal. If too dry, add a tablespoon or two of water. With a large spoon or ice cream scoop, form salmon mixture into round or oval patties. Pat with your hands to create the form you wish. Carefully drop into the boiling water. Add enough fish patties to fill 1 layer. Cook for 3 minutes until fish patties look poached. Slowly add the rest of the patties. If the liquid does not cover the patties, add more stock or water.
Lower the temperature to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Remove from heat and allow to cool in stock, about 20-30 minutes.
Remove from pot when cooled and place in container with a bit of the stock. Cover and refrigerate. Gefilte Fish should be served cold, sprinkled with dill and sereed with white or beet horseradish, cucumber dill sauce (give link) or your favorite topping.
To freeze: Bring the patties should be at room temperature. Wrap each patty in plastic wrap. Seal in a freezer proof bag and freeze up to 3 months.