Confession time/full disclosure: I like gefilte fish that comes in jars. There. I’ve said it. I like it room temp and I like it cold right out of the fridge. I like it with sinus-searing horseradish, the kind that brings tears to your eyes and breaks you out in a sweat. So sue me. I suppose I’ll be banned after this.
After you fish (as it were) the oval patty-things out of the jar you have this gelatinous, broth-y substance left. Rather a lot of it. Seems a shame to throw it away. Gefilte fish really isn’t all that fishy. At least the jarred stuff isn’t. I guess the broth isn’t either. I’ve only had homemade at other people’s houses, and it’s not something I’ll ever make. Would this liquid be a good addition to chicken soup, for instance, along with chicken broth? Any other uses for it besides pouring over the cat’s kibble?
After trying Yehuda Original Gefilte Fish, I discovered I actually like the stuff, after many decades of thinking gefilte fish was awful. I just finish the broth off when I’m done eating the fish. The original variety is ever-so-slightly sweet, not full-on sweet like the sweet broth variety. Much better than the Manischevitz of my childhood. I wish it weren’t so expensive.
I love the jelly. With good strong horseradish. I have to admit I have never heard of Yehuda, but I can’t imagine it is anything like my grandmother’s. She started by choosing a carp swimming in a tank at the fishmonger’s.
Growing up, gefilte fish, chopped liver, and matzo were some of my favorite foods. As an adult I’ve made chopped liver and purchased matzo (and made matzo balls for soup), but it’s been a long time since I’ve had gefilte fish. Guess I’ll be buying some now.
As a person who usually enjoys odd seafood concoctions, and as a former supermarket nightstocker whose responsibilities included restocking the Jewish section, I was always intrigued by the jars of strange-looking white blobs that the label claimed to be fish, but in 12 years I never bought one and tried it. It seemed like a fairly large jar and I didn’t want to have to toss out that much food if I hated it. I have many Jewish friends who could probably give me some, or at least certainly their parents could, but I’ve never taken advantage of that opportunity, either.
Someday I’ll get around to trying it.
I’m guessing it’s similar to Asian fish balls, which is fish meat that’s been pounded into a paste, then mixed with a few seasonings, formed into balls, and boiled. Is that close?
I’ve no use for the jelly, but love gefilte fish with tons of the hottest horseradish I can find.
When I was a kid, my grandmother used to make shredded turkey in aspic. Great big deep casserole dish of the stuff. So rubbery you cut it with knife to serve. That with hot horseradish was heaven to me. That must be going on 40 years ago now. Good times.
Gefilte fish isn’t fishy-tasting at all. It has a very mild, neutral taste, which is why it needs:
The other day I took too big a bite of horseradish and it sat for a few seconds in my throat as I attempted to swallow it, eventually flooding it with water. It occurred to me at that moment that you could kill someone with a big dose of horseradish.
I usually splurge for Gold’s whitefish and pike premium stuff, rather than plain carp. With plenty of Gold’s horseradish. Preferably the beet kind, to liven up the plating.
I think matzoh tastes like cardboard. If I have Carr’s rosemary crackers instead, does it mark me as hopelessly goyische?
