05 Sep 2018 Salmon-Gefilte Fish Patties With Caramelized Carrot & Parsnip Spears

This beautiful dish elevates humble gefilte fish into a palate-pleasing and visually colorful perfect appetizer.  The roasted carrots and parsnip add flavor, sophistication and depth, and complement the fish very well.  The dipping sauce is delicious and can also be used as a dip for challah or as a yummy salad dressing. 

It’s also a nice dish for Rosh Hashana night, when both fish and carrots are simanim (symbolic foods) that we include in our meal.   

Salmon-Gefilte Fish Patties alongside Honey Roasted Carrot & Parsnip Spears

Prepare the fish patties:

Defrost one good quality loaf frozen gefilte fish and one good quality loaf salmon gefilte fish (you can leave the loaves on the counter for a few hours, or defrost in the fridge overnight).  Once the fish loaves are defrosted, you are ready to make the patties.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  Heat the oven to 375*.

Unwrap the loaves and transfer the fish to a large bowl.  As the fish is defrosted, some of it will stick to the paper in which it’s wrapped; use a spatula to scrape the paper clean, so that you get all of the fish.

To the fish, add:

Sprinkle black pepper to taste

1/3 – 1/2 c. sugar (I use 1/3 c. and find it’s sufficiently sweet.  If you like your fish sweeter, you may prefer the more generous amount)

2 carrots, peeled and shredded (approx. 1 c. shredded carrots)

1/4 c. chopped fresh dill (for ease of preparation, I use the pre-checked dill available in the local kosher grocery)

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/3 c. matza meal

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix all of the ingredients together.  Using gloved hands, take a palmful of the fish mixture, and shape the patties, laying them one by one on the parchment-paper lined cookie sheet.  It’s okay if they are close to each other, as they don’t spread much during baking. 

You should have approx. 15 fish patties. 

Drizzle the top of the patties with light-tasting olive oil.  Bake on 375* for 40 minutes, uncovered.  Remove from the oven and allow the patties to cool.

Chill the fish patties overnight in the fridge. 

Prepare the roasted vegetables:

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  A foil/disposable cookie sheet is not recommended, as the roasted vegetables will not caramelize as they will on a real cookie sheet.   Pre-heat the oven to 425*.

Cut up 1 red onion; 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced into spears; 1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced into spears. (If you are serving a crowd, you may want to double the roasted veggies.)

Arrange the vegetables on the cookie sheet.  Drizzle the vegetables with light-tasting olive oil and honey.  Sprinkle with a dash of black pepper.  Arrange some of the fresh dill on top and drizzle 2 tsp. tarragon vinegar over the vegetables.  (If you don’t use vinegar on Rosh Hashana, you can use lemon juice, or simply omit it if you prefer.)

Roast on 425* for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, till the vegetables are softened, but not mushy, and beginning to caramelize. 

When the vegetables are done, remove the pan from the oven.  These can also be stored in the fridge, if you are preparing them ahead of time. 

Prepare the Honey-Garlic-Herb Mayo Dipping Sauce:

Combine all together:

3/4 c. mayonnaise

2 frozen garlic cubes

2 frozen parsley cubes

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

2-3 Tbsp. honey

black pepper and sea salt to taste

1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

tear in a couple of sprigs fresh dill, stems removed

Mix all together till smooth and all ingredients are well combined.

To plate the dish:

Arrange 1 (or 2 patties) on each plate.  Add a serving of roasted vegetables and a dollop of sauce, either next to, or atop, the fish patties.

Serve the extra sauce and veggies in bowls in the center of the table, for those who want more of the good stuff 🙂

Happy cooking, b’tay’avon, and my most heartfelt wishes for a shana tova u’mi’tuka – May we be blessed with a year that is only good and always sweet, amen v’amen.

Michal