Falshe Fish

I’m sure that many of you have heard of falshe fish, a “mock” fish that is made from ground chicken, or have possibly even made it. This recipe is extremely dear to me. It was taught to me, and my whole family, by my paternal grandmother, Bubby Chava, whom I was very close to. (It is actually her yahrtzeit today, Rosh Chodesh Adar, the day that I’m writing this article.) Her family never ate fish on Passover for fear of chametz being fed to the fish. Many still have this minhag. Bubby began to eat fish when she moved to America after the war and remarried, so even though my family does now eat fish on Passover, this still remained a traditional Passover dish—one that we all love and make every single Passover. It’s extra special since it has been passed down through the generations.

Directions

Yield: 12 balls

1. Fill a six-quart pot a bit more than halfway full with water and bring to a boil over medium heat.

2. Meanwhile, place ground chicken in a mixing bowl.

3. Using the S blade of your food processor, finely grind onion, celery, and carrot.

4. Combine the ground vegetables with the ground chicken. Add egg, hot water, sugar, and salt. Mix well.

5. Season the boiling water with the sugar, salt, and paprika.

6. Wet your hands and form balls out of the chicken mixture. Drop into the pot of boiling water.

7. Cover the pot, lower heat a bit and let chicken balls cook for 45 minutes.

8. Turn off heat and let cool. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken balls from pot. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. Serve cold.

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feige baumer

2 years ago

I made the falshe fish today but it tastes very dry. Any ideas for a sauce that I can use with it?
Can I cook it in a sauce even though the meatballs are fully cooked or should I just make a sauce
and pour it over the meatballs?