Zamosc Gefilte Fish | view more Recipe

Zamosc Gefilte Fish

'3 pounds carp (meat)', '1 1/2 pounds whitefish, pickerel, or rockfish (meat)', '1 1/2 pounds yellow pike or buffel (meat)', '6 onions', '2 tablespoons salt, or to taste', '6 eggs', '3 tablespoons sugar', '1 /2–1 cup matzah meal', '3/4 cup water', '1 teaspoon almond extract or 1/4 cup ground almonds (optional)', '1 1/4 teaspoons pepper', 'Horseradish (bottled or fresh)', '4 stalks celery, cut in 4-inch slices', '3 onions, sliced', '6 carrots, sliced on the bias', '8 cups water, or enough to cover bones with 1 inch to spare (use less rather than more)', 'Bones of fish (and heads, if desired)', '1 tablespoon salt', '1/2 tablespoon freshly ground pepper', '1 tablespoon sugar'

1. Place all the stock ingredients in a large kettle with a cover. Bring to a boil, then partially cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. While waiting for the pot to boil, begin preparing the fish. 2. In a wooden bowl, add to the ground-up fish all the other ingredients listed under Fish, carefully chopping very fine and blending. You can also use the grinder on a mixer. Wet your hands and form the fish into fat, oval-shaped patties, carefully sliding each into the simmering stock. 3. Simmer over a low flame slowly for 20 to 30 minutes or for 2 hours. Allow to cool in the pot and carefully remove all the patties, placing them on a platter. After the fish has been removed, strain off the cooking liquid. This stock should then jell when chilled; if it does not, simply add a package of unflavored gelatin, following instructions on the package. 4. Serve the chilled gefilte fish with the jellied fish stock, horseradish, and of course the carrots.