Gefilte fish produces such strong reactions that I decided to use the far more demure French word for this sea-born dish. Quenelles are easy to make and you can use whatever fish you prefer. For this round I used salmon and a heavy dose of fresh peas. Blend in the aromatics that look fresh when you arrive at the market, no need to adhere strictly to this recipe. When serving, add a dollop of something tangy (yogurt sauce, horseradish, sour cream, tamarind paste), it will offset the luxurious fish and send fireworks through your palate.
Ingredients
- 1 Yellow Onion, shredded and squeezed to remove excess liquid (reserve the liquid)
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 1 cup Fresh or Frozen Green Peas
- Handful Parsley Leaves
- 4 Salmon Fillets
- 1 Egg
- 1 tablespoon Whole Grain Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- Salt to taste
Business
- Prepare your veggies, take care of all shredding and squeezing before working with the fish.
- Remove the skin from salmon fillets and cut the flesh into large pieces.
- Add skin and reserved onion juice to sauce pot with 4-6 cups water.
- Bring liquid to boil, then drop to simmer.
- In a food processor add all vegetables and salmon pieces. Process until smooth.
- Add egg, mustard, salt, and pepper and continue to process until smooth and shiny.
- Scoop out quenelles of the fish dough and drop them (a few at a time) into the simmering water for 5-7 minutes, until they hold together in one piece and are cooked in the center.
- Drain quenelles on rack.
- If not serving immediately, add quenelles to jars or containers and pour poaching liquid over them to cover and keep moist.