Gefilte Fish comes in stiff competition with cholent as #1 on the Jewish food list. We all make it. Most of us like it. But gone are the days when we have to scale our own carp to prepare it (maybe just on Pesach!). While I do make salmon, tilapia and flounder on occasion, gefilte fish is a Shabbos staple at my house. So I like to get creative with the preparation, both in preparing, and in plating. This is my most popular way of serving, and I always get the oohs and aahs from my guests when I set it on the table. You need two different types of preparations to plate this way. I am posting three different recipes for your choosing.
Bread Crumb Recipe:
This one is our favorite! (thanks to my cousin Chana Kaplan for the recipe)
1 roll sweet Gefilte fish
2 tbsp mayo
plain or flavored bread crumbs
Method:
Remove gefilte fish from the packaging. The easiest way to remove the wax paper is to rinse it with cold water for a few seconds. This will soften the paper just enough so that you can twist, unwrap and remove the paper easily. Brush the gefilte fish with mayo and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 75-90 minutes (depending how you like it, the longer you bake it, the more dried out it will be).
Take Note: When you bake the fish this way (uncovered, in the oven), towards the end, the fish will start to expand. It looks like it’s blowing up! This is just about when you should take it out. The air will come out of it when you remove it from the oven. It will become slightly free-formed. Maybe not the prettiest, but my family enjoys this preparation the best!
Asian Style Recipe:
1 roll sweet gefilte fish
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
Freunds mixed pack roasted sesame seeds (I used to roast them myself until I found this genius product!)
Method:
Prepare gefilte fish as above, however, brush with soy/honey mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds instead. Bake uncovered, at 350 for 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
Another variation of this is to brush it with teriyaki sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Marinara Recipe:
1 roll sweet gefilte fish
1 jar Marinara sauce of your choice
Method:
Remove gefilte fish from packaging and wax paper, as instructed above. Pour 1/2 jar Marinara sauce over fish. Bake, covered, at 350 for 1 1/2-2 hours.
Dipping Sauces:
For dipping, I use chrein, horseradish sauce, wasabi sauce, and leftover marinara sauce from the pan. If you are not making the marinara fish, you can mix up a quick Russian dressing of mayo and ketchup.
To plate:
Slice fish evenly. Spread each type of fish on separate sides of a square serving dish. Prepare 4 mini l’chaim cups with dipping sauces and set between the fish. Place mini mousse spoons in the cups for serving.
