Jeffrey says: "One of the things that drew us to gefilte fish was that it stood as a symbol of resourcefulness - how far a single fish could be stretched to feed an entire family. It had a practical aspect, too. On the Sabbath, Jews are prohibited from separating bones from flesh, so by finely grinding the fish, the proscription was circumvented.
"We love thinking of ways to restore gefilte to its rightful place on the table, especially for the Passover seder. This recipe has a classic base, but we've added herbs to give it a taste of spring and a touch of colour. You have two options for how to cook and serve your gefilte fish. Poaching quenelles in a fish broth is a classic method used by generations of Jewish cooks, and baking the fish in a terrine is a quick and contemporary approach that will slice and plate beautifully.
"Liz and I prefer the baked terrine, but enough friends and family members request the poached option so we couldn't ignore the pull of tradition.Hake, sole, flounder, whiting, tilapia, or halibut all work well."
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
● 1 small onion,coarsely chopped
● 340g whitefish fillet, skin removed, flesh coarsely chopped
● 1¼ tbsp vegetable oil
● 1 large egg
● 2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh watercress (or spinach)
● 2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh dill
● 1 tsp salt
● Pinch of freshly ground white pepper
● 1 tbsp sugar
● Horseradish sauce
Method
● If there are any bones left in your fillets, remove the larger ones by hand, but don't fret about the smaller ones since they'll be pulverised in the food processor. You can buy your fish preground from a fishmonger but try to cook it that day since ground fish loses its freshness faster.
● Process the onion in a large food processor until finely ground and mostly liquefied. Add the fish to the food processor with the rest of the ingredients, except for the horseradish.Pulse until the mixture is light-coloured and evenly textured. Scoop into a bowl and stir to ensure that all the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout.
● Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 7.5 x 20cm loaf tin with baking parchment and fill with the fish mixture. Smooth with a spatula.
● Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and bake for40 to 45 minutes. The terrine is finished when the corners and ends begin to brown. The loaf will give off some liquid. Cool to room temperature before removing from the pan and slicing.
● Serve with horseradish relish.
