Gefilte Fish Recipe
and Matzah Bread

A Gefilte fish recipe and Matzah bread are traditionally eaten during the Passover holiday.  Passover is a Jewish holiday or festival that lasts 7 to 8 days and is celebrated during early spring.

During this holiday candles are lit and holiday meals like gefilte fish recipes are served.  This poached fish patty or ball is made from a mixture of ground and deboned fish - usually carp, pike, and whitefish.  Although, some people like to throw in a little salmon into their gefilte fish recipe for a change.

These fish balls or patties are then poached in a broth of vegetables or fish stock for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours or longer.  Matzah bread which is an unleavened bread commemorates the freeing of the Israelites and it's a big Passover staple eaten during this holiday.

Gefilte Fish Recipe

Broth Ingredients & Instructions:

  • 2 Organic Onions (sliced)
  • 2 Organic Carrots (sliced)
  • 6 cups of Filtered Water
  • 1 tsp. of Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp. of Organic Sugar
  1. Combine these ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes with the lid on.

Gefilte Instructions:

  1. Put the ingredients (all but horseradish) into a large food processor and blend for 3 to 4 minutes.
  2. Then wet your hands and shape the fish mixture into golf ball sized fish balls.
  3. After shaping all of the fish balls, place them into the hot broth and simmer for 1 1/2 hours (with a partial lid on the pot).
  4. When fully cooked, spoon fish balls out of the hot broth with a slotted spoon. 
  5. Plate and garnish gefilte fish recipe with a slice of cooked carrot and serve with grated horseradish.

Fish Ball Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of Wild Caught Whitefish (minced)
  • 1 pound of Wild Caught Salmon (minced)
  • 2 Organic Onions (minced)
  • 1 Organic Carrot (minced)
  • 3 Large Pastured or Organic Eggs
  • 1/2 cup of Cold Water (filtered)
  • 1/4 cup of Matzo or Matzah Meal
  • 2 Tbsp. of Kosher Salt (or to taste)
  • 2 Tbsp. Organic Dill (minced)
  • 1 Tbsp. of Pepper (or to taste)
  • 1 Tbsp. of Organic Sugar
  • Side:  Grated Horseradish

Beware that horseradish contains a volatile mustard-like oil that will bring tears to your eyes.

Be sure to choose roots that are firm and have no sign of mold or green spots.

How to Make Matzah Bread

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Cold Spring Water
  • 3 cups Kosher for Passover Flour

From start to baking - this recipe must be completed in 18 minutes to prevent the dough from rising by fermentation.

This is a flat bread recipe, so you don't want any type of rising to occur.  Make smaller batches to prevent the rising of matzah bread.

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Add the Kosher flour to a big mixing bowl and gradually add in the spring water.
  3. Knead the dough until no longer sticky and roll out dough as thinly as possible.
  4. Transfer rolled dough to a lined cookie sheet and fork dough to make rows of perforation (to bake a flat bread).
  5. Bake until brown and crispy - about 5 to 8 minutes.

Matzah bread is the unleavened bread that the Israelites ate when they left their days of slavery in Egypt. 

They were in a rush to leave and did not have time for their bread to rise, so this unleavened bread was made for their journey out of Egypt.

Therefore, it is a big symbol of their freedom and is eaten during this Jewish religious holiday.  Matzah bread is usually made from wheat, but it can also be made from barley, spelt, rye, and oats.

How to Make Matzah Meal

Matzah meal is made by grinding matzah bread into a coarse or into a fine meal. You can then use this matzah meal in your gefilte fish recipes.  Matzah resembles a cracker more than a bread and is made from white flour and water. 

You can find matzah bread or crackers at a Jewish Market or in the Kosher section of your grocery stores.  Just put a few pieces into a blender or food processor and grind until the desired texture is reached. Viola, you have matzah meal.

Go to Latkes Recipes

Return to Jewish Food Recipes

Save Time and Shop On-line

Featured Back-Issue Newsletter