EST. 2011 BY LIZ RUEVEN
Re-Thinking the Fish Course for Passover

Re-Thinking the Fish Course for Passover

In collaborating on my recent eBook, 4 Bloggers Dish: Passover, Modern Twists on Traditional Flavors, I thought a lot about how my tastes have shifted over the years and how in some ways, they haven’t at all.

During Passover, a lot of home-cooks turn back to traditional foods that may be outside of the scope of what they normally eat. This naturally brought me to contemplating gefilte fish.  And while I LOVE my gefilte fish, I’m totally  DIS-interested in making it. The stink of simmering fish broth in my home? No thanks.

As an easy alternative,  I took a close friend’s suggestion to slow roast salmon and pair it with a seasonal veggie relish.

Beet Relish

Not wanting to stray too far from traditional horseradish, I landed on this idea for Beet Relish as a an accompaniment to SC’s inspired and super easy (and not so slow) Slow Roasted Salmon Filets.  This will make a lovely start to your Passover seder or a perfectly healthy appetizer or light entree at any other time.

If you’re up for the challenge of making traditional gefilte fish, check out this recipe from 2nd Avenue Deli in NYC (scroll to the end of that post).  If you take on the big challenge, PLEASE share pics and tales with me on my Facebook page or in the comments section at the end of this post.

If you want to buy the BEST artisanal, all natural, super delicious gefilte fish, I recommend any and all products from the Gefilteria, made in small batches by the dynamic duo Liz Alper and Jeffrey Yoskowitz and their team in Brooklyn.  Click here to read more about them and click here to see where you may purchase their products.

final cover

If you’re like me and ready to re-think your fish course at the Passover table, check out these two recipes from our Passover eBook. In the time it takes you to consider heading over to your local fishmonger, you can download it on Amazon here.

 

Slow Roasted Salmon
serves 8 as a first course
Slow Roasted Salmon

I asked a close friend and very creative cook if he serves gefilte fish on Pesach. He said that once he served this slow roasted salmon as a first course, his guests always asked for it, year after year.

When I tested it on my family, they loved it, too. While there will always be a place for homemade gefilte fish in my heart, I would gladly opt for this buttery fish as a first course.

This recipe is non-dairy, Pareve

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds salmon fillet, skin on, cut into 8 equal pieces for first course portion
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 Tb. fresh dill, chopped
  • 2 Tb. fennel fronds, chopped (or parsley

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 225F.
  2. Line a roasting pan with foil.
  3. Place each piece of fish in a small bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper
  4. Coat top and bottom of each fillet with oil mixture. Place in roasting pan and top with equal amounts of fresh herbs.
  5. Roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until a fork pierces the fish without resistance.

Notes

Watch the cooking time closely here. I like the fish cooked medium, but you may want it closer to rare.

Tips: This salmon may be served warm or at room temperature. You may make it ahead (up to 2 days) and serve it at room temp.

Thank you Scott, for sharing your inspiration with me.

8 Comments

  2. Thanks for such a fun and full post this week. My 2nd night Seder is growing by the day! Your fish post is inspiring me to try the slow cooked salmon recipe.

    A couple of questions…. I prefer not to cook on aluminum. How will the fish do on parchment? Do I need to make any adjustments? Or should I use the method of wrapping the fish in parchment bundles? I’m having 14 people.

    Any other suggestions for easier sauce/condiment to accompany the salmon? Thanks!

    Reply to this comment

    • Ladies, I love salmon for pesach-and liz- fennel friends are lovely and unique touch which i will abosuletly incorporate. GREAT idea. Softer in taste than tarragon, which some folks love and some do not. BUT, in all honesty, in my quest to make things in advance ( a vestige of a catering life at one point), I usually go with a pickled salmon, ceviche or even a gravalox. They taste great with matzo, look pretty on a plate and make awesome lunch leftovers the next day ( when i go dairy). There are a bunch of pickled salmon recipes around (and yes, i do have mine on my site, theweiserkitchen.com, as well for ceviches). I serve the ceviche non-peruvian style ( meaning no corn on the side – because of kiniyot issues. I often served small boiled potatoes or simply roasted baby potatoes or roasted yucca to soak up the juices. Love your writing Liz. Love it.

      Reply to this comment

    • Tami- thanks for your great ceviche idea. I love it. Would you be willing to share your recipe? I bet other readers would love to see it. Please e-mail me. And thanks for the accolades. So glad you are enjoying Kosher Like Me.

      Reply to this comment

    • Glad you find the slow roasted salmon idea appealing. You can definitely place the salmon on parchment but don’t wrap in bundles as that would be steaming it. You want to roast it so leave the salmon fillets unwrapped. As an alternate condiment how about a fruit chutney? Peaches or pineapples would be a great flavor base and you can make the chutney well in advance if you use enough lime to keep it fresh. Happy Passover!

      Reply to this comment

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SIDE DISH
Photo by Jerri Graham Photography

Hi. I’m Liz and I welcome you to Kosher Like Me.

When I’m not caressing fruits and veggies at my local farmers’ market you’ll likely find me chatting with like-minded eaters, probing the scene in NYC or seeking inspiration in my spice cabinet. Life outside of this blog is all about my family, tasty travel adventures and power walks deep in the CT woods or along the shore.

Please brew a fragrant cup of tea, grab a nosh and stay a while.