I make homemade gefilte fish twice a year: Passover and Rosh Hashanah. Before Passover, at what we call a “gefilte-in,” friends assemble in my kitchen with their own pots, fish, carrots, eggs, and matzo meal to make old-fashioned gefilte fish patties. For Rosh Hashanah, I make a light, circular fish terrine that looks beautiful and has the components of gefilte fish, but is very easy to make.
Salmon Gefilte Fish Mold
April 18, 2021
Ingredients
- 2pounds salmon fillets
- 1pound cod, flounder, rockfish, or whitefish
- 3medium Bermuda onions, peeled and diced (about 2 pounds)
- 3tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 4large eggs
- 4tablespoons matzo meal
- 2large carrots, peeled and grated
- 4tablespoons snipped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
- 1tablespoon salt or to taste
- 2teaspoons freshly ground pepper
- 1teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2tablespoons sugar
- Parsley, for garnish
- Beet horseradish sauce, to serve
Yield: 15 to 20 slices
Preparation
- Step 1
Have your fish store grind the fillets or grind them yourself, one at a time, in a food processor or meat grinder. Don’t puree the fish—you want some texture. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan and fill a larger pan (such as a large Pyrex dish) with 2 inches of hot water.
- Step 2
In a large pan over medium-high heat, sauté the diced onions in the oil until soft and transparent but not brown. Set aside to cool.
- Step 3
Put the fish, onions, eggs, 2 cups water, matzo meal, carrots, 4 tablespoons dill, salt, pepper, mustard, and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer equipped with the flat beater. Beat at medium speed for 10 minutes.
- Step 4
Pour the mixture into the Bundt pan, then put the pan inside the larger water-filled dish (called a Bain Marie). Smooth the top with a spatula. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour or until the center is solid. Remove the Bundt pan from the water dish, then allow the terrine to cool slightly for at least 20 minutes. Slide a long knife around the outer and inner edges of the Bundt pan, then carefully invert the terrine onto a flat serving plate.
- Step 5
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. If any water accumulates on the serving dish, carefully drain it away before serving. Slice the terrine as you would a torte and serve as an appetizer, garnished with parsley and dill and served with beet horseradish sauce. Leftovers keep for up to five days.