Add water to cover, place over medium heat, and bring to a boil.

To make the gefilte fish, start by placing the cubed potato and cauliflower florets in a medium saucepan.

Banish those fetid, mummified monstrosities in the closet, and try something better than merely edible this year. No one would be fooled by my finless imposters, even amidst the cacophony of colors on the average Seder plate these gefilte are far and away the superior option. Slicked with the sheen of agar, this extra layer locks in moisture, freshness, and an added veneer of savory flavor. There are plenty of similar interpretations on the internet, but what sets my fish-free gefilte apart is the genuine coating in aspic, reminiscent of the gelatinous goop that comes within the jar. Olive brine or simply very salty water could do in a pinch, but something about the faintly lemony, pleasingly metallic taste of capers really suits the original inspiration.

Potato and cauliflower provide the substance and texture with a fairly neutral taste, bolstered by caper brine for a subtly oceanic, saline essence. Starting from scratch with plants, we can resuscitate this Franken-fish with just a bit of patience and perseverance. To make matters worse, because cooking is verboten on the Sabbath for strictly kosher households, it’s typically served cold. You can generally find them packed in shelf-stable glass bottles, which seem to live indefinitely in the back of your bubbe‘s pantry, like a long-forgotten science experiment gone awry. They’re like poached pescaterian meatballs, spiked with the sharp bite of horseradish and bitter herbs. Let’s be honest, gefilte fish is an outlandish dish. Maybe it’s the challenge of creating something that is otherwise unattainable, of trying something new and novel, or my general propensity towards all things bizarre. Even she couldn’t fathom why I’d want to revisit the reviled appetizer, and at such great effort.

I get the impression that it’s more about ritual, symbolism, and classic Jewish guilt than genuine enjoyment, but for all that, her tolerance for the processed white fish dumpling is far greater than most. My mother herself is a fair weather gefilte fish supporter, serving it dutifully every time tradition mandates. After a few beats, I wondered if the call had dropped altogether, until my mom hesitantly, quietly responded, “…Why?” “Passover is right around the corner, so I was thinking about making a vegan gefilte fish this year.”

Gefilte fish passover