Tuna Patties with Lemon-Mayonnaise

Gefilte Fish Alternatives

March 2014

What can we say about gefilte fish, that staple of Eastern European Jewish cuisine?

It depends who you ask.

Older folks might think of it as the beloved dish their bubbe used to make; their “Proustian madeleine” that calls forth fond memories of Shabbats and holidays gone by. But, more likely than not, youngsters will cringe when they think about the oval-shaped, jelly-glopped masses of grayish-brown that come out of jars from the supermarket.

Gefilte fish is that kind of love-it-or-hate-it food. The jarred varieties are enormously popular, particularly for Passover, which begins at sundown on April 14th. But jarred gefilte fish is a far cry from homemade, which, when properly done is delicate tasting with a tender, fluffy texture not unlike French quenelles.

Unfortunately, making gefilte fish from scratch is a messy, laborious task and few home cooks have time for it these days. It can be expensive too, which seems odd, given that this dish was born out of financial hardship: mixing ground-up fish with starch fillers such as matzo meal and cooked vegetables was a way to stretch the protein to serve twice as many people.

But gefilte fish doesn’t play the starring role at a Seder dinner, even though many families serve it before the main meal. And it isn’t sacrosanct for Passover either. There are alternatives for those who can’t find it fresh, store-made or who can’t abide the jarred varieties and who don’t want to make their own.

One option is Salmon, Potato and Spinach Patties, which mimic gefilte fish in a way -- the recipe is a mixture of mashed fish, eggs and matzo meal. Cooked potatoes soften the texture and there’s spinach for color. Mix the ingredients together, shape them into patties and fry them to a rich, golden brown (thanks to an extra coating of matzo meal). They are satisfyingly crispy when served hot (or reheated in a 400 degree oven) but, to make things easier, you can serve them at room temperature too.

Or choose Tuna Patties. This is another dish that begins with chopped fresh fish mixed with fresh herbs and some frisky seasonings, then pan fried. As with the salmon patties, you can serve them either hot or at room temperature. The lemon-mayonnaise adds a rich and tangy counterpoint (you can also serve this sauce with the salmon patties).

If you’d prefer a fish course that’s even easier to prepare ahead, there’s Roasted Salmon with Scallions and Mint. This dish, which takes less than 10 minutes to put together, is another that’s equally tasty when hot or at room temperature.

No need to save these recipes for Passover. They’re fine all year through.