Jeffrey says: “One of the things that drew us to gefilte fish was that it stood as a symbol of resourcefulness — how far a single fish could be stretched to feed an entire family. It had a practical aspect, too. On the Sabbath, Jews are prohibited from separating bones from flesh, so by finely grinding the fish, the proscription was circumvented.

“We love thinking of ways to restore gefilte to its rightful place on the table, especially for the Passover seder. This recipe has a classic base, but we’ve added herbs to give it a taste of spring and a touch of colour. You have two options for how to cook and serve your gefilte fish. Poaching quenelles in a fish broth is a classic method used by generations of Jewish cooks, and baking the fish in a terrine is a quick and contemporary approach that will slice and plate beautifully.

“Liz and I prefer the baked terrine, but enough friends and family members request the poached option so we couldn’t ignore the pull of tradition. Hake, sole, flounder, whiting, tilapia, or halibut all work well.” Serves: 8 - 10

INGREDIENTS

1 small onion,coarsely chopped 340g whitefish fillet, skin removed, flesh coarsely chopped 1¼ tbsp vegetable oil 1 large egg 2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh watercress (or spinach) 2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh dill 1 tsp salt Pinch of freshly ground white pepper 1 tbsp sugar Horseradish sauce

METHOD

If there are any bones left in your fillets, remove the larger ones by hand, but don’t fret about the smaller ones since they’ll be pulverised in the food processor. You can buy your fish preground from a fishmonger but try to cook it that day since ground fish loses its freshness faster.

Process the onion in a large food processor until finely ground and mostly liquefied. Add