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3 pounds (net) ground carp
Preparation for fish soup:
In a big and wide saucepan place oil and onions and fry lightly on medium fire. When lightly brown in color and transparent add 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon sugar and ground white pepper. Mix. Add 2 cups water; stir and cook covered. Simmer for 15 minutes on small fire.
Note: At this stage you take 2 tablespoons of the sautéed onions with a slotted spoon and ground them in your food processor with the fresh onion to a fine cream-like consistency. Add to ground fish.
Add all the other ingredients and about 6 cups water; bring to boil. Skim off foam from top; cover and let cook on small fire about 3/4 - 1 hour. Strain liquid in colander. Save carrots for decoration for later use. Put liquid back into saucepan; bring to boil again. Taste, and add if needed salt or pepper or sugar to you own flavour.
Preparation for the Gefilte Fish:
With wet hands, make patties and put carefully in the simmering soup. When you finish with all the ground fish, shake pan. Bring to boil. If you need to add more water this is the time, (the water should cover fish.)
Cover pan and lower fire. It must simmer all the time, and cook for 1-1/2 hours. (Some methods cook with out the lid on, I do ). From time to time shake pan again and sprinkle cold water on top of fish.
Cool for 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer fish patties to glass plate and put on top of each patty the cooked carrot. Cool and keep in refrigerator one day before you serve.
Strain the liquid in a colander. Transfer to a glass jar, cover and refrigerate.
Poster's Notes:
Posted by Rina Perry
Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A
1 medium onion, cut into pieces
3 full tablespoons matzo flour
3 eggs
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 (about) cup water
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons sautéed onions
2 tablespoons oil
3 big onions, cut into pieces
1 small bunch parsley + a little fresh dill
2 big carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
4-5 fresh carp heads (Ask the butcher to clean them- the eyes too.)
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
Water
Put all the fish ingredients except the water in your electric mixer. Beat with the beater and add slowly the water 1 tablespoon after another. Taste- yes yes you have to taste because you can't add flavour after you put to cook. I just take a little in my mouth and spit. You can add to your own liking. We don't eat it sweet.
[ARCHIVIST'S NOTE: For safety, please don't taste raw batter. Poach a little bit and taste that, then adjust the raw batter]
On Wednesdays my mother used to go down town in Haifa to the Fish Market. We lived on Mount Carmel. She use to buy fresh Carps. She asked the butcher to put them alive in a newspaper, (of course an old one). She carried them back home by buses. (It took an hour.) Put them in our bathtub and they were swimming happily for a day. Now can you imagine, the ordeal that those poor creatures suffered? Being carried in a newspaper, all the way to our bathtub, and still be alive? Well, I think that fish have very strong NERVES.