Tamar Ansh is an author, editor, and food columnist, known for her cookbooks that bring culinary traditions to life. One of her innovative recipes is the Moroccan-style gefilte fish, a delightful blend of Ashkenazi and Sephardi flavors.
After writing a number of cookbooks, you’d think I’ve heard it all when it comes to gefilte fish. Then, a participant speaks up and tells me her favorite version of what to do with an average gefilte fish roll - something I’d never even considered. So, if I am smart, I run and get a scrap of paper and write it down because these kinds of ideas are gold nuggets when it comes to creativity!
I was in the middle of demonstrating and explaining how I came up with the unlikely “Moroccan-Style Gefilte Fish” recipe in my new cookbook. I was explaining the way I developed the recipe and what I’d done to get the taste just right.
Okay, so maybe this one is messing around with two different customs of fish - “gefilte fish” is mostly Eastern European, and Moroccan-style is mostly, well, Sefardi, but it comes out so good that I just had to share it…
This recipe is based on my favorite childhood dish, chraime. It originated in Morocco and means “prohibited” or “illegal” in Arabic. As a child, I waited all week to eat it at Shabbat dinner. While visiting her in Israel as an adult, she taught me exactly how to make chraime in her own kitchen.
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I decided to shake things up by using prepared gefilte fish, ‘cuz that’s the way I roll (pun intended). I incorporated all the traditional elements of Moroccan fish here - including colored peppers, lots of garlic, parsley, lemon, and of course, harissa - a hot pepper paste that’s often used in North African cuisine.
Last week, I had the idea to make Chraimi sauce and then drop gefilte fish balls into it. The results were terrific! I was rather pleased that I had blended two styles of traditional Shabbat fish (Ashkenazi and Sephardi) into a unique appetizer.
Here’s how you can make this delicious dish.
Ingredients:
- 1 frozen, ready-made gefilte fish roll
- 1 cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika (cayenne pepper)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into round slices
Instructions:
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- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Peel off the wrapper and parchment paper from the frozen fish loaf and place it in the lined loaf pan.
- In a small bowl, mix together the tomato paste, olive oil, and all the spices.
- Smear this all over the fish loaf and add in any leftover tomato paste.
- Place the cut onions and carrots all over the fish loaf and in any spaces you find in the pan.
- Cover the loaf with the parchment paper and then again with a piece of foil. Seal the edges well.
- Bake for 1½ hours. Remove from the oven and let cool; refrigerate until serving.
Serve sliced, with the cooked veggies on the side. It’s really delish and quite different, too! And the aroma it emits while baking in your oven makes the whole kitchen smell inviting and amazing.
Time-Saving Tip:
Simply take the wrapped, frozen loaf out of the plastic. Unwrap the two ends, run it under a stream of water, and…voilà! The paper then slides right off.
Variations:
Fish balls have more of a fluffy matza ball texture. If you want something more dense, you may fry up the gefilte fish into patties instead.
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Additional Tips and Insights:
I don’t know about you, but the more I cook, the more I appreciate savory food. And the more I experiment, the more I realize that you don’t need to use a lot of sweetener in your cooking. Spicy gefilte fish? With harissa? What’s that? Could you pass the sugar please?!
Moroccan Gefilte Fish Balls in Spicy Tomato Sauce
Here’s another take on the Moroccan-style gefilte fish, transforming it into fish balls served in a spicy tomato sauce.
Ingredients for the Fish Balls:
- Defrosted gefilte fish
- Matzo meal
- Parsley, chopped
- Cumin
- Turmeric
- Garlic
- Egg
Ingredients for the Sauce:
- Olive oil
- Red pepper slices
- Chopped green chili
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Chopped tomatoes
- Sugar
- Spices (salt, pepper, paprika, hot paprika)
- Tomato paste
- Cilantro
Instructions:
- Prepare the Fish Balls: Mix the defrosted gefilte fish with matzo meal, parsley, cumin, turmeric, garlic, and egg in a mixing bowl.
- Shape the Fish Balls: Make golf-ball sized balls and lay them on a tray.
- Lightly Fry the Fish Balls: In a saucepan, pour a drizzle of olive oil and fry the fish balls very lightly on a medium heat on both sides - just so they can get a little bit of color (they don’t need to be fully cooked).
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same saucepan, add another 2 Tbsp of olive oil, the red pepper slices, and the chopped green chili. Fry until they get a nice color, then add the garlic and lemon, and fry for 3-4 minutes.
- Add Tomatoes and Spices: Add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, and the rest of the spices, plus salt and pepper to your taste. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Thicken the Sauce: Add the tomato paste, mix well, and let it cook until it becomes very thick.
- Combine Fish Balls and Sauce: Gently add the lightly fried fish balls to the sauce. Ensure they are submerged.
- Simmer: Reduce heat and simmer until the balls are cooked through, about 45 minutes. Don’t overcrowd the sauce; wait for the fish balls to set before moving them around to make more space for additional balls.
- Garnish: Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle with cilantro.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve hot as an appetizer or main course. The combination of spicy tomato sauce and fluffy gefilte fish balls makes a unique and flavorful dish that bridges culinary traditions.
Infographic: Moroccan Gefilte Fish Recipe
How to Make Gefilte Fish *Homemade Jewish Recipe*
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tags: #Moroccan
