My Moms Legendary Galicianer Sweet Gefilte Fish Food

MY MOM'S LEGENDARY GALICIANER (SWEET) GEFILTE FISH

Steps:

• Mix together fish, onions, eggs, salt, sugar, pepper until very thoroughly blended.
• If you are my mother, or not as squeemish as her daughter, you taste it at this point (yes, raw) and adjust seasonings to taste. If you are me, you just pray that it is well-seasoned and move on.
• Add matzo meal slowly, mixing very very well, until it is almost thick enough to shape into balls, but just a bit softer. (How's that for imprecise?).
• Cover the bowl, and refrigerate for at least one hour, or even overnight.
• At this point, you can shape the mixture into balls or loaves and freeze for future use, but no one ever does because deferring this gratification for that long is just impossible.
• Make the broth: In a large soup pot, mix the broth ingredients.
• Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 30 minutes or so. It should be sort of golden in color. Taste to adjust seasoning. The broth should be sweet and a little salty.
• Form the fish mixture into balls, cylinders, loaves -- whatever.
• Add to broth, bring to a boil again, and then lower to a very slow boil for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Cool. Eat. Enjoy.

GEFILTE FISH

Steps:

• Ask the fisherman to cut the head, and tail, and fillet the fish.
• Take the bones and head home, you'll need it for the fish stock.
• mince the fish about 3 times in order to
• mince the smaller bones.
• Add to the fish the 2 or 3 minced onions, discarding the water from the onions. Add also the breadcrumbs, and eggs. Mix well for 5 minutes.
• Put in a very wide pot the head and bones of the fish as well. Slice the onions and put it with the fish.
• Make patties with the fish and put it over the bones, head, and onions.
• Slice the carrots and put it over the patties.
• Let it come to a boil and then let it simmer for a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 3 hours.
• Let it cool completely.
• Once cool, carefully take out the fish head and bones and discard them (if some one has a liking for meat from the fish head give it to them or else throw it out).
• Put the patties and water into a container, seal it completely, refrigerating it until the water turns into jelly. Enjoy with the carrots that were in the pot. (You can serve the jelly with the fish, since it has the added flavour of the fish bones).
• Keeps in the fridge for a week.

HOMEMADE AUTHENTIC GEFILTE FISH

Steps:

• Ask your fishmonger to fillet the fish, reserving the bones and heads for you. Also ask for an extra head (it will improve the broth).
• Coarsely grind the fish with 2 of the onions in a grinder or processor.
• Transfer the mixture to a wooden bowl and continue chopping with a mezzaluna (half-moon shaped chopper) as you work in the 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tbsp sugar, matzo meal, eggs, and enough water (about 1/4 cup) to produce a smooth light paste. If you don't have a mezzaluna, you can do this on a cutting board with a knife (**either way, make a well in the center of the mixture before adding the eggs and water).
• Put the fish heads and bones into a large wide pot along with the carrots, pepper, remaining 2 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar, and one onion. Cover with plenty of water and bring to a boil.
• In a separate pot, bring to a boil 3 quarts of water.
• When the first pot comes to a boil, prepare the fish balls. Keeping your hands moist with cold water, form spheres the size of very large eggs (they will expand when cooked) and drop them carefully, one by one, into the pot with the fish bones. The water should be kept at a slow simmer as you continue to add fish balls.
• After all the balls have been added, simmer for 1.5 hours. Add additional water from the second pot as necessary, so that there is enough liquid to keep the balls afloat.
• Remove from heat and let the fish balls cool in their liquid.
• With a slotted spoon, remove the fish balls to a serving platter.
• Strain the cooking liquid. Pour it into a large wide jar and refrigerate until cold (overnight if possible). It should gel. If it doesn't, rewarm the liquid and dissolve 1 package of gelatin in it. Test by putting a teaspoon of the liquid on a plate and refrigerating; if it doesn't gel, add more gelatin (up to 3 packages) until it does. Refrigerate until chilled.
• Serve the fish cold with the fish aspic and chrain.

SWEET & SOUR FISH

Steps:

• In a large skillet combine onion, carrot, bay leaf, cloves, lemon slices, ginger and water.
• Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
• Add fish and cook over medium low, covered, until fish is cooked (it will turn opaque and pull away from center bone)about 10-12 minutes.
• Remove fish to a large deep glass or ceramic dish.
• Boil liquid again until reduced by 1/2, about 7-10 minutes.
• Strain (saving the carrot) and add the vinegar and brown sugar.
• Stir in parsley and pour over fish. Chill until needed (I've chilled for 24 hours in the past).
• Serve chilled garnished with the carrot slices.