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Short Summary
Main recommendation: Make spiced gefilte fish by baking jarred or frozen A&B Famous gefilte fish in a loaf pan with onions, carrots, celery, capers, and a spice blend, then refrigerating it in an airtight container. The dish is built on a shortcut-heavy approach, using prepared vegetables and store-bought fish, with the spices adding the distinctive flavor.
Key Points
- A&B Famous gefilte fish is the brand the host uses; she says her stepmother-in-law's gefilte fish tasted better than her own homemade version and told her it was because she used that brand.
- Frozen crinkle-cut carrots and chopped onions form the base layer in the loaf pan, so no chopping is needed for them.
- The spice blend includes capers, dill, parsley, allspice, celery seed, and thyme, with salt and black pepper, and the capers and spice combination came from the host's recipe tester's father-in-law.
- The fish and vegetables bake covered in foil at 350°F for two and a half hours, then cool before storage.
- The finished dish is meant to be stored in a sealable, airtight container to keep the fish smell contained in the refrigerator.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions: Line a loaf pan with a 10 oz bag of frozen chopped onions and a bag of frozen crinkle-cut carrots, adding two stalks of fresh celery that have been checked for infestation, washed, and chopped into roughly quarter- to half-inch pieces. Remove the A&B Famous gefilte fish from its bag, rinse it in the sink, and place it on top of the vegetables. Season with 8 to 10 capers (the host adds a few extra), about a quarter to a half teaspoon of kosher salt, dill, parsley (fresh or dried), allspice, celery seed, thyme (fresh or dried), and fresh cracked black pepper. Pour two cups of water over the vegetables, not directly over the fish, cover loosely with foil, and bake at 350°F for two and a half hours. Let it cool for about an hour, then transfer the fish and vegetables to an airtight container and refrigerate.
- The host notes the spices can be adjusted to taste, and fresh or dried herbs both work.
- Pouring water mainly on the vegetables helps keep the spices on the fish from washing off.
- If the fish and vegetables bulge out of the loaf pan, the host says that is normal and not a problem.
- The host describes the flavor as nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove-like from the allspice, reminiscent of Thanksgiving.
- The host mentions that the dish appears on the cover of her book.
Bottom Line
Spiced gefilte fish is a fast, shortcut-friendly recipe that uses prepared ingredients and a targeted spice blend to give store-bought fish a distinctive, fresh flavor.
