There is one common staple in our house over Passover, and that is gefilte fish. Traditionally, I make enough for everyone, and then am the only one to eat it. But that’s ok. These things take time. I didn’t love, or even like, or even try, gefilte fish when I was a kid either.

When we lived in NY, it was easy enough to purchase really good gefilte from one of our local grocers, but here in wine country – no such luck. So, I took to making it myself from scratch when we moved here. The first versions weren’t very good — it turned out to be nearly impossible to find the traditional fish in the right quantities in California. So, I adapted.

Our recipe is a “west coast” adaptation of the basic gefilte recipe from the great book The Gefilte Manifesto. All of the ingredients are easy to find at almost any good fishmonger and grocer this time of year.

Enjoy, and happy pesach.

West Coast Style Gefilte Fish

For the fish stock:

1 lb spine and head, Halibut bones
4 qts water
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 small onions
4 medium whole carrots
3 Tbsp sugar

Add all ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain the stock and remove the carrots, cutting them into 1” pieces and set ting them aside. Discard the remaining solids and return the stock to the stove top.

For the Gefilte Quenelles:

1 lb California or Canadian Halibut fillet, skinned
1 lb California Sturgeon fillet, skinned
2 small onions
2 small eggs
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill (plus more fresh sprigs for garnish set aside)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp kosher salt
¼ tspn fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup Matzah meal

Prep:

Grind the onions, then the fish with it, and then all the remaining ingredients in a food processor.
Begin to reheat the stock on low. It should be warm, not hot/cold.
Wet your hands, and roll out large egg-shaped quenelles, just smaller than a tennis ball. Place them gently in the stock using a slotted spoon, one by one.
You should have about 12-14 quenelles, depending on size.
Cover and boil the stock and quenelles on medium high for 30 minutes. Then let cool slightly.
Line a serving dish with carrots and quenelles, then cover with stock, and garnish with a few fresh sprigs of dill, then wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate. The quenelles are served cool, best the next day and for 3 days after.
Serve with fresh horseradish and matzah for Passover.

Horseradish, fresh, for serving:

1 (8 to 10-inch long) piece horseradish root (4 to 5 ounces)
2 tablespoons water, more as needed
1 tablespoon white vinegar, more as needed
Pinch salt
Peel and chop your horseradish root into half inch cubes, then pulse in a sturdy food processor with the other ingredients. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks (or as long as it takes to finish all the gefilte fish the rest of your family refused to eat.)