Make the gefilte fish and matzah balls the stars of the show

The two cornerstone dishes that firmly define Passover and its traditions at many seders are gefilte fish and matzah ball soup. 

“Gefilte” means “filled” in Yiddish; the chopped fish was served in the fish’s skin. It was first made in the 14th century, likely in Germany. Quickly adopted by Ashkenazi Jews, the dish became popular for Shabbat and holidays to avoid the prohibition against removing bones from fish while eating. 

Matzah balls served in soup are a staple at Passover, though not eaten by those who prohibit the soaking of matzah products. 

However, once you have eaten the ritual foods of the seder, you usually rush through the gefilte fish to get to the soup, then rush through that! Then comes the main affair. Usually brisket, chicken, turkey, or other festive protein appears with many side dishes. But who is hungry at this point?  

What if, instead, we made a big deal about the fish and soup? After that, maybe serve a light entrée—a kugel, poached chicken platter with herb dressing, plus a refreshing and seasonal green salad. 

The fish can be made days ahead and is served cold. Let’s dress up the fish with veggies, crudites, pickles, olives, dips, and flavored “horseradish-y” toppings. Then amp up the soup and make it the centerpiece, with (maybe) matzah balls, and shredded chicken, lokshen noodles (flourless crepes cut into strips), fresh vegetables, and some herbs.  

Gefilte Fish 

Homemade gefilte fish has a fresh, delicate flavor. You control the quality of the fish and the flavors. You can customize the fish with citrus, herbs, and a pinch or two of sugar. Gefilte fish should be a delicate balance of savory and sweet.  

Making gefilte fish seems like a potchke! But don’t plotz! First, make friends with a fish monger. You want the freshest fish and fish bones. You can purchase whole fish, fish fillets, or ground fish to make gefilte fish. Your fish monger can guide you with the amount of fish you need. 

Make your homemade gefilte fish a centerpiece by serving with pickles, olives, crudites, flavored horseradish, thinly sliced radishes, pickled beets, pickled onions, and more.  

Classic gefilte fish has rich, sweet carp; savory, firm pike; and mild, sweet whitefish. You can play with the amounts depending upon your preferences and even add halibut and salmon.  

Gefilte fish can be made ahead and frozen, before or after cooking. It can be poached, by shaping the fish into balls or quenelles (oval/egg shaped). Or the fish can be baked in a loaf pan or terrine (see below), which is placed in a water bath to ensure a gentle, indirect heating method to prevent scorching and hot spots. If you choose the baked method, skip the poaching liquid and just make the fish mixture. 

For the poaching liquid 

3 pounds fish bones and heads from non-oily fish 

1 cup dry, white wine 

2 white onions, sliced 

2 medium carrots, sliced 

½ fennel bulb, sliced 

2 celery ribs, sliced 

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 

2 bay leaves 

Several thyme sprigs, dill sprigs, parsley stems 

1. Rinse the bones to remove any blood. Transfer bones to a stock pot. You might need to bend the bones to fit in the pot!  

2. Add wine, onions, carrots, fennel, celery, peppercorns, bay leaves and thyme over medium-low heat.  

3. Once the wine has evaporated, add 3 quarts or more cold water to cover the bones. 

4. Simmer, skimming any gray foam from the surface, for 45 minutes.  

5. Turn off the heat and allow to steep for 10 minutes before straining the stock. 

Discard bones and vegetables. Wash the stockpot, and add stock back to the pot. 

For the fish mixture 

1 pound ground whitefish 

1 pound ground pike 

1 pound ground carp 

3 white onions, ground (use a food processor and pulse—do not run the machine as this 

will turn the onions to mush) 

¾ cup matzah meal 

3 eggs, lightly beaten 

1 tablespoon sugar (more if desired) 

3 tablespoons kosher or sea salt (not table salt) 

1 teaspoon ground black or white pepper 

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground fish, onions, matzah meal, eggs, sugar, salt, pepper and 6 tablespoons cold water. 

2. Mix completely. Refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes (the matzah meal will act as a binder). 

3. Simmer fish stock. Break off a small piece of fish mixture and poach in simmering stock for a few minutes until firm. Taste for any additional salt or sugar. 

4. Using 2 serving spoons or soup spoons, scoop up fish and scrape it back and forth between the spoons to form an oval shape or quenelle. Gently push the fish into simmering stock. Continue with more fish. You may need to poach fish in batches, so you do not overload the pot.  

5. Simmer until a thermometer inserted in a piece of fish reads 150F. Gently remove the fish and place on lined tray. 

6. Once all the fish has been poached, turn off heat and add fish back to the pot.  

Chill and store fish until ready to serve. 

Baking the gefilte fish 

Alternatively, you can bake the gefilte fish mixture in a loaf pan.  

7. Preheat oven to 325°F 

8. Spray a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan with olive oil. Line the pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to hang over the long sides (this will act like a sling to unmold the fish).  

9. Spoon fish mixture into prepared loaf pan. Place the loaf pan in a larger pan and fill the larger pan with hot water up to 2 inches. 

10. Bake the fish for about 50 minutes, or until a thermometer registers 150°F. 

11. Cool fish before unmolding onto a serving platter. 

Loaded Horseradish 

To make more of the fish course, I have created a loaded horseradish topping. Bright zingy flavors that pop. The contrast between sweet fish and zesty topping. Feel free to riff on this topping, and add your own twists. 

1 cup prepared horseradish 

1 orange, zested and juiced 

1 lemon, zested and juiced 

1 carrot, grated finely on smallest hole of box grater 

1 small raw red beet, peeled and grated on smallest hole of box grater 

1 small knob of fresh ginger, peeled and grated 

Several sprigs of fresh dill, minced finely 

Several tablespoons of finely minced parsley 

¼ cup best quality extra virgin olive oil 

Sea salt and pepper to taste 

Stir together horseradish, citrus zests and juices, carrot, beet, ginger, dill, parsley, and extra virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper. 

Leftover loaded horseradish can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for 5 days. 

Rich Chicken Stock 

Rich and versatile chicken soup does not come from canned or boxed broth, nor from bouillon or powder. Legendary soup starts with chicken bones, which have collagen, gelatin, and flavor.  
Boiling chicken in water will only yield chicken-flavored water and over-cooked chicken.  

Instead, prepare chicken stock like the pros do, by simmering bones to make bone broth or stock. Stock prepared by gently simmering bones for hours will yield rich, wobbly stock with a thick and viscous mouthfeel. Save your chicken and chicken pieces for entrees, or turn that delicious stock into soup. 

Yields: 4 quarts rich stock 

4 pounds of chicken bones (wings, carcasses, necks, etc.) 

Approximately 12 cups of water 

1 large Spanish onion, chopped 

3 large carrots, chopped 

3 celery ribs, chopped 

3 sprigs of fresh thyme 

5 parsley sprigs 

1 bay leaf 

1 whole clove 

1 teaspoon of whole black peppercorn 

Optional: chopped parsnips, fresh ginger, whole garlic cloves, sliced leeks, parsley root, celery root. 

1. Simmer bones, water, onion, carrots, celery, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, clove and peppercorns in a large stock pot. Only fill with water to the level of the bones and vegetables (this will guarantee a rich, not watery stock). Note: Do not add salt at this point. The stock will reduce as part of the natural simmering process and salting it can make it overly salty. 

2. Skim off any scum that floats to the top. The scum will make your soup cloudy and bitter.  

3. Continue simmering for 4 hours.  

4. Turn off the heat, and allow the chicken stock to steep for another hour. 

5. Strain out the bones and vegetables, and discard.  

6. Cool the stock— in your stock pot, in a sink filled with cold water and ice— completely, before storing covered in the refrigerator or freezer.  

7. Ladle off the fat from the top of the stock before using. But save the fat for matzah balls! 

Stock may be stored—covered, in the freezer—for up to 3 months, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Turning stock into soup 

The vegetables used to make the stock have done their job and should be discarded, or nibbled on while you make the soup. Start with fresh vegetables, cut attractively and bite sized. I add cooked and shredded thigh and breast meat to make a hearty bowl of soup. 

1 pound cooked white or dark chicken meat, shredded 

½ cup celery, thinly sliced  

½ cup peeled celery root, thinly sliced  

½ cup carrots, thinly sliced  

½ cup parsnips, thinly sliced  

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill 

Matzah balls (recipe follows) 

Lokshen noodles (recipe follows) 

Salt and pepper to taste 

1. Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a large saucepan or stock pot.  

2. Add chicken, celery, celery root, carrots, parsnips, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper.  

3. Simmer until vegetables are tender. 

4. Adjust seasoning to taste. 

Matzah Balls 

For extra savory flavor, I use chicken stock and schmaltz in my matzah ball mix. No need for whipping whites separately or adding seltzer to the mix. Using light hands, and not compressing the matzah meal mix, ensures delicate floating orbs of joy. 

Chicken fat makes everything flavorful and delicious. Skip the packaged mix and make your own matzah balls. Make your grandmother proud and use schmaltz! 

Yield: 12 medium matzah balls 

4 large eggs, whisked 

¼ cup cold chicken stock or water 

¼ cup melted and cooled schmaltz or extra virgin olive oil 

1 cup matzah meal 

½ teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper 

Optional: 1 tablespoon minced parsley, 1 tablespoon minced dill, pinch of nutmeg 

2-3 quarts of chicken stock, for soup  

1. Stir eggs, chicken stock or water, schmaltz, matzah meal, baking powder, salt, and pepper together to form a firm batter. 

2. Cover and allow to rest, while matzah meal hydrates in the fridge, for 30 minutes. 

3. Bring stock for soup to a simmer in a large soup pot with a tight-fitting lid. 

4. Dampen your hands under cold water and scoop a tablespoon of matzah mix. Very gently roll the mixture to form a smooth ball. The tighter you compress the mixture, the heavier the dumpling. 

5. Drop matzah balls into simmering stock. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. 

For make-ahead matzah balls, scoop out matzah balls with a slotted spoon and store covered, in the fridge or freezer. Add to simmering broth before serving  

Lokshen Noodles (or Crepes) 

Jewish egg noodles were first made sometime around the 13th century. Lokshen, or Itriyot (Hebrew), are served in a great many dishes, from Lokshen Mit Kaese (noodles with cheese) to Kasha Varnishkes, consisting of kasha and bow-tie pasta. 

A tangle of rich, eggy noodles soaking up some of the broth adds a delicate, savory component.  

You will need a small, non-stick pan and a spatula. I have a dedicated 6-inch pan to make these crepes.  

Thin crepes are preferred, as they melt in your mouth.  

Yield: 12-15 crepes 

4 eggs 

1 cup water 

½ cup potato starch 

1 tablespoon schmaltz or extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) 

Oil for the pan 

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt 

Optional: finely chopped chives, chopped parsley, thinly sliced scallion greens, 

chopped dill 

1. Whisk together eggs, water, potato starch, schmaltz or EVOO, and salt. Whisk in chopped herbs now, if using. 

2. Heat a small non-stick pan, lightly coated with EVOO, over medium-low heat. 

3. Add 2-3 tablespoons of batter and swirl to coat the pan. Allow to cook until you see the edges become “lacy” and bubbles form on the surface (less than one minute). Using a spatula or your fingers, flip the crepe to cook the other side for another 30 seconds, or until dry. 

4. Transfer crepe to a plate and continue with remaining batter. You can stack the cooked crepes. 

5. Once cooled, roll crepes into a log and slice. Ta-da! Noodles!  

6. Separate noodles onto lined parchment before adding to warm soup. 

7. Cooked crepes can be stored, wrapped in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for 2 months. 

Make extra crepes and use them for kugels and other side dishes—like sweet fruit-filled or savory vegetable-stuffed crepes—and of course, more soup!  

Laura Frankel—a noted kosher chef, and cookbook author—serves as Director of Culinary  Operations at Tamarisk NorthShore. She is also a product development specialist and has  worked as culinary director for a media company.