Gefilte Fish

Ingredients

• 1.fish heads, 1–2 large; cleaned; for stock
• 2.fish bones, 1–2 kg; for stock — do not use stock cubes
• 3.4 onions, sliced; for stock
• 4.4 carrots, sliced; for stock
• 5.carrot juice, from about 10 finely grated carrots; strained
• 6.10 millilitre sugar, start with 2 teaspoons; adjust to taste; for stock
• 7.10 millilitre salt, start with 2 teaspoons; adjust to taste; for stock
• 8.Telma vegetable stock, chicken flavour; to taste
• 9.black pepper, a dash or two
• 10.fish spice, a dash
• 11.saffron, 1–2 sachets; for stock colour and flavour
• 12.1500 gram mixed fish, 1½ lbs (700g) kingklip, ½ lb (225g) red fish, and 2 soles; all skinned and filleted
• 13.5 onions, sliced and fried; for fish mix
• 14.1 carrot, medium; for fish mix
• 15.15 millilitre ground almonds, for fish mix
• 16.5 millilitre oil, for fish mix
• 17.10 millilitre salt, for fish mix
• 18.10 millilitre sugar, for fish mix
• 19.black pepper, to taste; for fish mix
• 20.1.25 millilitre Telma vegetable stock, chicken flavour; for fish mix
• 21.fish spice, sprinkle; for fish mix
• 22.2 eggs, for fish mix
• 23.375 millilitre water, at least 375ml; added gradually to fish mix
• 24.4 carrots, sliced; for simmering stock; to garnish each fish ball

Method

1. 1.STOCK: Clean the fish heads and the bones. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Discard the scum that may rise to the top. Add the sliced onions, the sliced carrots and the strained carrot juice.
2. 2.Season the stock with the sugar, the salt, the vegetable stock, the pepper, the fish spice and saffron. Be careful with the saffron — it gives colour on a subtle flavour. Cook about 2 hours. The stock should be rich in colour and flavour. Strain and set aside in fridge until the next day.
3. 3.FISH MIX: Mince fish, onion and carrot. Add eggs, salt, pepper, sugar, oil and ground almonds. Beat very well in mixmaster. Mixture must be fine, smooth and soft.
4. 4.Add the water slowly — the mixture will absorb the water as you continue to beat. Use as much water as the fish will absorb. The fish mixture should be soft and a little sloppy. Taste and correct the seasoning — sugar and pepper taste should be noticeable.
5. 5.Bring the stock to the simmer. Add the sliced carrots.
6. 6.Shape the fish into balls — use a large tablespoon to measure, and a small spatula to smooth. Lower the fish balls into the simmering stock. Cover and cook fish for 1 hour.
7. 7.Put fish out on platter and strain stock over. Garnish each fish ball with a boiled carrot slice. Place in fridge to set.

Notes

• Recipe spans two pages in the original binder: ingredients on one page, additional ingredients and method on a non-consecutive page.
• Telma = South African brand of vegetable/chicken stock powder.
• Fish spice = South African spice blend for fish.
• Kingklip = Genypterus capensis, popular SA deepwater fish. Red fish = generic term for red-fleshed fish in SA.
• The 'K' beater attachment on the mixmaster is ideal — all the fish sinews cling to it and can be discarded.
• See also: Gefilte Fish (handwritten simpler version) and Fish Fricadelles (using leftover gefilte fish mixture).