Vegan Gefilte "Fish"

Passover was one of my favorite holidays during my childhood. It meant attending a seder which meant having a special dinner with my grandfather. He would be so proud of me when I, as the youngest, asked The Four Questions in Hebrew, and he would recite the answer to me.

Other highlights of the holiday: being allowed to stay up late enough to watch the entire movie "The Ten Commandments." I loved this movie which is only aired once a year. Even as a child I could appreciate the hunkiness of the handsome Biblical heroes and villains in armor and loincloths - Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, and (sigh) John Derek.

 

As the tenth plague, Death of the First-Born, tore through the land, the ominous green mist that enveloped and killed those marked became, in my child's mind, the animated personification of Death itself.

But even scarier than the horrible plagues of blood and locusts? Gefilte fish. How this dish of ground up fish covered in slime and served cold became a delicacy is the greatest mystery of all. In my opinion, if Moses had fed Pharoah some Gefilte fish, he might have let the Hebrews go a lot faster!

The only redeemable part of eating Gefilte fish was getting to cover up the slimy, tasteless fish blob with spicy (yummy), purple (pretty) horseradish. And yet as horrible as I found Gefilte fish, it just wouldn't be Passover without it. It's tradition. So what's a vegan - who would NEVER be part of the pain, suffering and death of innocent sea animals - to do?

The past few Passovers I just skipped it but this year I wanted to make a vegan version of Gefilte fish - a version without the cruelty and death, without the cold tastelessness and slime. And I wanted it to look like the original and taste like fish (but better).

This is the recipe I came up with. It's made with chickpeas and sauteed vegetables. The fish flavor comes from the seasoning - kelp and dulce flakes (if you don't have both you can just use whichever you have), Old Bay and lemon. They look just like Gefilte fish, the texture is spot on and they taste like a much yummier version of the original "treat." I'm so glad my Vegan Gefilte "Fish" will grace my seder table this year. Happy Passover and Enjoy!

Note: Although I am of Ashkenazic descent, I do not agree with nor follow the prohibition of Kitniyot -  eating legumes and rice - on Passover. I agree with Rabbi David Golinkin who believes this custom (that he says is in opposition to Talmudic writings) is devisive between Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews and diminishes the importance of the hametz.
 

Vegan Gefilte "Fish"

 

(Makes 4)

1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
½ small onion, chopped
2 small or 1 large celery stalk, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped (save some for garnish)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1-15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 ½ tsp. dulce flakes
1 tsp. kelp flakes
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
Zest and juice of one lemon
Red cabbage, shredded
Prepared horseradish, if desired

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and let the sweat for about 3-4 minutes. You don’t want them to brown or change color. The veggies should just get softer. Add the chickpeas to the skillet and toss with the veggies. Mix in the seasonings. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Transfer the chickpeas and veggie mixture to a food processor. Add the lemon zest and juice of half the lemon. Pulse the mixture and then process until smooth. Taste for any seasoning adjustments. Using a measuring cup, scoop 1/3 cup of the mixture and mold it into a gefilte fish shape. The shape is like a small football or a lemon. Lay the molded gefilte “fish” on a small baking sheet or plate. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. Cover the gefilte fishies with plastic wrap, letting the wrap fit around each piece. Refrigerate for at least an hour or until ready to serve.

Serve each piece of Gefilte “fish” on a small bed of red cabbage and garnished with a small slice or a few shreds of carrot. Squeeze the remaining half lemon over the "fish" and cabbage. Serve with horseradish, if desired.

Other Passover recipes:
Fried Matzo/Matzo Brei
Mushroom and Walnut Chopped "Liver"
Matzo Ball Soup
Chocolate-Covered Matzo

The "V" Word: Say it. Eat it. Live it.