Gefilte Fish

Step 1

In a wide Dutch oven, add oil, onion, carrot, fennel and peppercorns. Saute on medium for 5 minutes. Add the salt, white wine, water and bay leaf. Cover, bring to a boil, then remove the lid and reduce heat, simmering for 45 minutes while you work on the fish balls.

Step 2

Roughly chop the onion and carrot by hand and set aside. Cut both fillets of fish into medium-size cubes and set aside. In a food processor, add garlic, onion and carrot and pulse until finely ground. Add the fish, and pulse until it's finely ground and mixed well with the vegetables. (If you have a small food processor, do the fish in batches.) Don't let the food processor run for a long time, though—pulsing is better to prevent the ingredients from turning into a paste. Put the mixture into a medium bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients: egg, dill, lemon juice, salt, pepper, sugar and matzo meal. Mix until just incorporated.

Step 3

Wet your hands and shape the fish mixture into quenelles (the shape of an egg) about 1-1/2 to 2 inches long. Gently place the quenelles into the simmering broth—they should all be nearly submerged with broth. Cover the pot and poach on a low simmer for 30 minutes.

Step 4

Gently remove the gefilte fish from the broth with a slotted spoon and place in a baking dish. Strain the broth and pour some of the liquid over the fish and allow to cool. Make sure to save the carrot! Once cooled, put the gefilte fish in the fridge for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).

Step 5

Remove the fish from the liquid and arrange neatly on a serving platter. Slice the carrot into rounds and spread them out over the gefilte fish. Enjoy with horseradish, either store-bought or homemade.