Polish gefilte fish and beetroot horseradish chrein
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5
Polish gefilte fish and beetroot horseradish chrein
Description
The Polish gefilte fish features ground carp and whitefish mixed with finely chopped onion, matzo meal to bind, sugar, salt, pepper, sunflower oil, and egg. The mixture is shaped into oval patties and cooked in a flavorful fish broth made by wrapping fish head and bones in cheesecloth and simmering with carrot, onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, allspice, parsley, and optional beet for color. This gentle poaching cooks the fish cakes to a delicate, moist texture, infused with aromatic broth notes.
The signature side, chrein, combines grated raw horseradish and beetroot mixed with sugar, salt, and vinegar to create a pungent, sweet, and tangy sauce that pairs well with the mildly spiced fish cakes. The sauce is prepared by soaking the grated roots to mellow sharpness, then blending thoroughly and resting before serving.
This dish is customary in Polish culinary traditions, often served on a bed of lettuce or kale leaves for presentation. It offers a balance of subtle fish flavors with the bright, piquant horseradish-beet sauce, making it a distinctive Eastern European delicacy for special occasions or holiday meals.
Ingredients
Chrein (horseradish-beet sauce)
- 7 oz horseradish raw
- 5 oz beets raw
- ½ TB sugar
- ½ TB salt
- ½ cup vinegar
Fish broth
- 1 fish head when buying your fish, ask the fish monger to keep the head and bones in a bag for you; if you’re filleting and cleaning your own fish, make sure to keep the head and bones
- 1 fish bones when buying your fish, ask the fish monger to keep the head and bones in a bag for you; if you’re filleting and cleaning your own fish, make sure to keep the head and bones
- 1 carrot peeled and sliced into rounds
- 1 onion quartered
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 black peppercorns whole
- 5 allspice berries whole
- parsley one stem
- 1 beet peeled and quartered (optional; my Ukrainian grandmother does this, but it takes the recipe in a decidedly non-Polish direction. However, this will give your gefilte fish an appealing pinkish hue)
- water
Polish gefilte fish
- 1 kg carp ground
- 700 g whitefish ground (pickerel or rockfish, cod and haddock are also acceptable replacements)
- 1 onion chopped finely (you may fry your onion first for additional flavor; if doing this, take care not to brown onion)
- ½ cup matzo meal Gluten free alternative - replace this with GF matzo meal or omit altogether.
- 2 TB sugar
- 4 tsps salt
- 2 tsps black pepper
- 2 TBs sunflower oil
- 1 egg
- lettuce for presentation, or kale leaves, large
Instructions
Chrein (horseradish-beet sauce)
- Peel beets and horseradish, and soak them in cold water for an hour (this saves you the hassle of cooking the beets).
- Drain well, and grate using a box grater or a food processor fitted with a fine grating disc.
- In a bowl, mix with sugar, salt and vinegar, taking care to incorporate all ingredients completely.
- Transfer to a jar, cover with lid and let rest for at least two hours before serving (chrein keeps well in the refrigerator, only getting better with time).
Fish broth
- Wrap fish head and bones in a cheesecloth pouch (cut a large square of cheesecloth, wrap fish head and bones in it, and tie together with kitchen twine).
- Add sliced carrots, onions, bay leaf, peppercorns, allspice berries, parsley stem and beets (if using) to pot. Add enough water to cover ingredients.
- Cover with a lid and bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and continue simmering for 30 minutes, until carrots can be easily pierced with a fork.
Polish gefilte fish – best to do this while your fish broth is cooking
- Combine all gefilte fish ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands until well combined.
- Wet the palms of your hands and form oval shaped patties the size of a golf ball.
- Place gefilte fish balls into fish broth; add enough water to ensure gefilte fish are submerged fully.
- Simmer over a low flame slowly for 1.5 hours. Carefully remove all the patties and carrot slices from the broth. Set aside to cool.
- OPTIONAL: After the fish has been removed, strain off the cooking liquid. This stock will jell when chilled, providing a traditional sauce to serve with the gefilte fish.
- To serve gefilte fish, arrange lettuce or kale leaves on a large platter. Carefully place gefilte fish patties on top of the greens. Top each patty with one of the cooked sliced carrots, and a dollop of chrein. Serve with more chrein on the side.
Notes
- If unable to get fishmonger-ground fish, carefully process deboned fish yourself using a food processor, ensuring all bones are removed.
- To make gluten free, substitute regular matzo meal with gluten-free matzo meal or omit altogether.
- Save fish bones and head for making the broth needed for poaching the fish cakes.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 362 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 362kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 17g | 6% |
| Protein | 42g | 84% |
| Fat | 13g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Trans Fat | 0.003g | 0% |
| Cholesterol | 147mg | 49% |
| Sodium | 1743mg | 73% |
| Potassium | 862mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 1356IU | 27% |
| Vitamin C | 6mg | 7% |
| Calcium | 83mg | 8% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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