Food Encyclopedia

gefilte fish

This popular Jewish dish consists of ground fish (usually carp, pike or whitefish) mixed with eggs, matzo meal and seasonings. The mixture is formed into balls or patties that are then simmered in vegetable or fish stock. After chilling, the gefilte fish is served in its own jellied stock and often garnished with grated horseradish, vegetable relishes or dill pickles. The name comes from the Yiddish term for "stuffed (gefüllte) fish;" in the past the mixture was stuffed back into the fish skin before cooking.