Hawaiian Red Snapper Gefilte Fish

Hawaiian Red Snapper Gefilte Fish

Tender, sweet red snapper quenelles gently poached in a ginger and coconut court-bouillon, served chilled with shimmering natural aspic and a fiery Hawaiian pineapple-horseradish chrain.

6hIntermediate8 servings
Remix

Equipment

Chef's knife
Cutting board
Stockpot with lid
Fine-mesh sieve
Food processor
Large mixing bowl
Slotted spoon
Instant-read digital thermometer
Small glass jar with lid

Ingredients

8 servings

Broth and Poaching Liquid

  • 500 g red snapper bones and heads, rinsed, gills removed
  • 1500 ml water
  • 500 ml coconut water
  • 2 yellow onion, peeled and sliced
  • 3 carrot, peeled and sliced into 1 cm rounds
  • 40 g fresh ginger, sliced into coins
  • 4 scallion, trimmed and halved
  • 2 g whole black peppercorns
  • 8 g fine sea salt

Fish Quenelles

  • 600 g skinless red snapper fillet, chilled, boneless, cut into chunks
  • 1 yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 egg, chilled
  • 45 g potato starch
  • 10 g granulated sugar
  • 6 g fine sea salt
  • 2 g ground white pepper
  • 60 ml ice water
  • 10 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

Hawaiian Pineapple-Horseradish Chrain

  • 100 g fresh horseradish root, peeled and chopped
  • 120 g fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced
  • 60 g fresh red beet, peeled and grated
  • 45 ml apple cider vinegar
  • 15 g granulated sugar
  • 3 g fine sea salt

Nutrition (per serving)

Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.

195
Calories
20g
Protein
23g
Carbohydrates
3g
Fat
12g
Sugar
Full nutrition

Only basic nutrition values are available for this recipe. More detailed nutrient data is incomplete.

Calories
195 kcal
Protein
20 g
Carbohydrates
23 g
Fat
3 g
Sugar
12 g

Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central

Method

01

Place the yellow onions, carrots, fresh ginger coins, and scallions on a cutting board and slice using a chef's knife.

10m
02

In a stockpot with lid, combine the red snapper bones and heads, water, coconut water, sliced onions, sliced carrots, ginger coins, scallions, peppercorns, and 8g salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer at 85°C (185°F) covered for 40 minutes.

40mLook for: Broth is fragrant and light golden, vegetables are completely tenderFeel: Liquid feels slightly tacky between fingers due to extracted collagen
03

Using a slotted spoon, lift out the cooked carrot slices and set them aside on a plate; then strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean container, discarding the fish frames and remaining solids.

5m
04

In the food processor, combine the chilled skinless red snapper fillet chunks and chopped yellow onion, pulsing until finely ground without becoming warm.

3mLook for: Evenly minced paste with no visible whole fish chunks
05

Transfer the ground fish into a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, potato starch, 10g grated ginger, 10g sugar, 6g salt, ground white pepper, and ice water, then beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes until the mixture turns glossy and resilient.

5mFeel: Mixture feels bouncy, slightly sticky, and holds its shape on a spoon
06

Wet both hands with cold water and shape the fish mixture into 8 equal oval patties, roughly 85g to 90g each.

5m
07

Bring the strained poaching broth in the stockpot with lid back to a gentle simmer at 80°C (176°F), gently lower the shaped patties into the liquid with a slotted spoon, cover with the lid, and poach for 25 minutes until an instant-read digital thermometer inserted into the center of a patty reads at least 63°C (145°F).

25mLook for: Patties puff slightly and become completely opaque white-pinkFeel: Firm and resilient to gentle touch with no raw softness in the core
08

Remove the stockpot from the heat, allow the quenelles and broth to cool to room temperature for 30 minutes, then transfer into an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator at 3°C (37°F) for at least 4 hours until the broth sets into a soft, shimmering jelly.

4hLook for: Broth has solidified into a delicate, wobbly amber aspic
09

Wipe out the food processor, combine the peeled horseradish, fresh pineapple, grated beet, apple cider vinegar, 15g sugar, and 3g salt, and process into a finely minced, vibrant condiment, then transfer to a small glass jar with lid.

5mLook for: Electric magenta relish with finely textured, uniform bits
10

To serve, place one chilled fish quenelle onto each plate using a slotted spoon, crown with a reserved poached carrot round, spoon around 2 tablespoons of shimmering jellied broth, and accompany with a dollop of the pineapple-horseradish chrain.

7m

Chef's Notes

  • Red snapper has a cleaner, sweeter profile than traditional carp or pike, harmonizing seamlessly with ginger and coconut notes.
  • Coconut water replaces standard sugar in the poaching court-bouillon, delivering subtle tropical sweetness without masking clean ocean flavors.
  • Grinding and mixing should always be conducted cold; keep your fish and mixing bowl thoroughly chilled to preserve a tight protein emulsion.
  • The bromelain enzyme in fresh pineapple tenderizes, so grind the chrain within 24 hours of serving to preserve its crisp, pungent bite.

Storage

Refrigerator: 4 daysStore poached quenelles submerged in their strained gelatinous broth in an airtight glass container.

Reheating: Traditionally enjoyed cold or at room temperature. If warm service is preferred, reheat gently in a covered pot with broth until the fish reaches 74°C (165°F).

Troubleshooting

Fish patties break apart or turn mushy during poaching

Cause: The fish emulsion was not beaten sufficiently to develop protein structure, or the poaching broth was boiling too hard

Fix: Cannot be fixed for broken patties; re-strain the poaching liquid to collect pieces and serve as a rustic fish aspic bowl

Prevention: Vigorously beat the ground fish paste until glossy and resilient, and maintain a gentle simmer between 80°C and 85°C (176°F to 185°F)

Poaching liquid fails to gel after chilling

Cause: Fish frames contained insufficient natural collagen, or the broth was excessively diluted

Fix: Warm 200 ml of broth, dissolve 4g of kosher fish gelatin into it, stir back into the remaining stock, and rechill

Prevention: Include full fish heads with cheeks and collar bones, and gently reduce broth if volume appears too high

Cultural Context

Gefilte fish, meaning stuffed fish in Yiddish, originated as an Ashkenazi Sabbath and Passover dish where boned fish was ground and stretched with aromatic vegetables and binders to avoid the prohibition against picking bones on holy days. This Hawaiian-inspired interpretation celebrates Jewish culinary diaspora by pairing kosher red snapper with Pacific Rim staples like fresh ginger, pure coconut water, and a bright pineapple-horseradish relish.

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