Gefilte Fish

• 8 pounds whole fish with bones and skin, such as carp, mullet, rockfish, haddock, whiting, sole, whitefish, or pike, filleted and ground*
• 2 tablespoons salt, or to taste
• 7 peppercorns, plus freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 onions, peeled
• 6 medium carrots, peeled
• 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• About 1/3 cup matzo meal
• Horseradish for garnish

1. Put the reserved bones, skin, and at least one of the fish heads (see note) in a wide, very large saucepan with a cover.
2. Pour in water to cover by about 5 inches.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt and the peppercorns, and bring to a boil.
4. Remove any scum that accumulates with a slotted spoon.
5. Cut one onion into quarters, and add along with five of the carrots and the parsnip.
6. Add the sugar, and bring to a boil.
7. Cover, and simmer for about 2 hours.
8. Long cooking will ensure a broth with jelly.
9. Turn off the heat, strain the broth, and discard the bones and vegetables, reserving the carrots.
10. Refrigerate overnight.
11. The next day, take the remaining three onions, slice thinly into rounds, and saute in the oil in a medium-sized frying pan until they are golden.
12. Pulse to grind in a food processor equipped with the steel blade.
13. Put the ground fish and onions in a large bowl.
14. Grate the remaining raw carrot into the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, the remaining tablespoon of salt, the ground pepper, and about 1/2 cup of cold water.
15. Mix thoroughly.
16. Stir in enough matzo meal to make a light, soft mixture that will hold its shape.
17. Either taste the raw fish to see if the seasonings need to be adjusted, or if you are uncomfortable tasting uncooked fish and eggs, heat the broth and dip a small amount in the broth to cook before tasting.
18. Wet your hands with cold water, scoop up about 1/4 cup of the fish mixture, and form it into an oval shape about 3 inches long.
19. Repeat until you have made oval patties out of all the mixture except for a handful to stuff the cavity of the reserved fish head or heads.
20. Gently put the fish patties and the fish heads in the simmering fish stock, adding more water if necessary almost to cover.
21. Cover loosely, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
22. Taste the liquid while the fish is cooking, and add seasoning to taste.
23. Shake the pot periodically, so the fish patties wont stick.
24. When the gefilte fish is cooked, remove from the water and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
25. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the fish patties and the heads, and arrange on a platter with the fish head or heads in the center.
26. Strain some of the stock over the fish, saving the rest in a bowl.
27. Slice the cooked carrots into rounds cut on the diagonal about 1/4 inch thick.
28. Put a piece of carrot on top of each gefilte-fish patty.
29. Chill until ready to eat.
30. Serve one gefilte-fish patty with a sprig of parsley and a dollop of horseradish.
31. Gefilte fish freezes well.
32. *Ask your fishmonger to grind the fish, reserving the tails, fins, heads, and bones.
33. Be sure he gives you the bones and trimmings.

fish, salt, peppercorns, onions, carrots, parsnip, sugar, peanut, eggs, matzo meal, horseradish

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/gefilte-fish-373981 (may not work)