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Home » Main Dishes » Chopped and fried gefilte fish aka ‘fishballs’

Chopped and fried gefilte fish aka ‘fishballs’

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How to make delicious, crispy, ‘chopped and fried’ gefilte fish balls from scratch – so much better than shop bought! Eat them with chraine for a real treat.

Chopped and fried gefilte fish, or ‘C&F’ as it was known in our house, was a regular fixture on our family menu. My Grandma would make it every week, on a Thursday. She would first mince the fish and onion using a hand-cranked mincing machine, then add the egg, seasoning and matza meal “until it looks right”. I don’t think she ever referred to a recipe.

fried gefilte fish balls.

Read the label

Significantly, Grandma kept her dry ingredients in unlabelled glass jars in a cupboard – she could see the contents through the glass so why bother with labels? One week, the fishballs just didn’t taste right. There was an awkward atmosphere around the table as we ate them. Then someone mentioned it… Apparently Grandma had grabbed the desiccated coconut instead of the matza meal! Oops!

Gefilte fish

British fried gefilte fish balls have evolved from the traditional Ashkenazi ‘gefilte fish’. In continental Europe, this would have been made from carp or other freshwater fish, which was minced then stuffed back inside the fish skin before and poaching.

When Jewish immigrants came to Britain, they found that carp was not readily available. An Island nation, the Brits tended to eat sea fish such as hake, haddock and cod.

Today in the UK the fish in chopped and fried fish balls is typically sea fish – either just one type, or a mixture. The minced fish mixture is simply formed into balls or patties and then fried or baked. The balls can also be poached in fish stock if preferred.

fried gefilte fish balls.

Crispy and delicious gefilte fish balls

Grandma’s gefilte fish balls would be fried in an open frying pan in about 1-2cm (just under an inch) of oil. She always knew when the oil was the right temperature, and her chopped and fried fish always came out crispy and browned – delicious! Hot, freshly-fried fishballs are the best!

Excuses, excuses…

These days, I’m afraid I don’t make fried gefilte fish on a weekly basis. There are a couple of reasons:

1) You can buy pretty good ones in the supermarket (not as good as home made, but OK), and
2) frying fish makes your hair, clothes and house STINK.

My Mum had a single electric ring in her garage that she used when making chopped and fried fish, and she wore an old dressing gown and a shower hat while she did it! 

fried gefilte fish ball.

Perfect temperature

Since I don’t make chopped and fried gefilte fish so often, I do need a little help with getting the frying just right. The most important thing is the oil temperature, which can be hard to gauge, so I use a Thermapen kitchen thermometer. 

You may think that a kitchen thermometer is the sort of gadget that only professional chefs would require, but I was surprised by how useful it is in a domestic kitchen too. Using it to measure the temperature of my frying oil, for example, meant that the whole process was easier, and less stressful, and the results were much more consistent.

fish balls frying.

Useful gadget

The Thermapen is chunky and easy to use. It gives an accurate temperature reading in only 3 seconds on its large format digital display. It’s waterproof, so easy to clean. Best of all the probe folds up when not in use. This means you can chuck it in a drawer and not worry about spearing yourself! 

The Thermapen switches on automatically when you unfold the probe, and it can be angled so that it’s easy to insert into whatever you’re measuring – whether it’s hot oil or other liquid, or solid foods like meat, fish or even baked goods.

Did you know you can test whether your challah is cooked by measuring the internal temperature? It’s done at 190°C (about 375°F), in case you’re interested. 

Which fish is best for gefilte fish?

Grandma used a mixture of hake and haddock, but any flaky white fish is fine. There’s no need to splurge on expensive fishes like halibut though, since you’re only going to mince it! Staples like cod are perfect for this recipe.

Frying gefilte fish

Interestingly, gefilte fish is not fried across most of the world. If I’d had to guess which nation had thought to immerse the balls in hot oil, I would probably have said America. No, apparently it’s we Brits who came up with the chopped and fried fishball. Well done us! 

How to serve chopped and fried fish balls

Fish balls can be served hot, warm or cold, although cold is the most traditional. These would have been prepared in advance to eat on Shabbat, or as part of a light lunch.

For a truly authentic experience, serve with a dollop of extra-strong chraine (horseradish and beetroot sauce) on the side. Makes 16-18.

How to make delicious, crispy, 'chopped & fried' gefilte fish balls from scratch - so much better than shop bought! Eat them with chraine for a real treat!

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fried gefilte fish balls.

Chopped and fried gefilte fish balls

Prevent your screen from going dark
Delicious, home made 'chopped and fried' fish. Easy, tasty, and so much better than shop bought!
4.6 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Chilling 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Jewish
Servings 18 fishballs
Calories 45 kcal

Equipment

  • Food processor
  • Food thermometer

Ingredients
 
 

  • 400 g white fish e.g. hake, haddock, cod, or a mixture
  • 1 egg
  • ½ a medium onion
  • 25 g medium matza meal
  • Pinch of salt and pepper
  • 500 ml vegetable oil for frying (or thereabouts)

Instructions
 

  • Finely chop the fish in the food processor. Remove from the bowl and set aside.
  • Peel and chop the onion, then put in the food processor with the egg and pulse until well combined and almost liquid.
  • Return the fish to the food processor with the onion/egg mixture, add the matza meal and seasoning, and pulse until everything is just combined. Tip the mixture into a bowl or other container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

When you're ready to fry

  • Fill a small saucepan with oil to a depth of 2-3cm (approx. 1 inch). Place on a medium flame and heat to 190°C (375°F). Use a food thermometer to measure the temperature of the oil.
  • While the oil is heating, divide the fish mixture into 18 pieces, and roll each into a ball – this is most easily done with wet hands. Place the balls on a plate or chopping board ready for frying.
  • Once the oil is the correct temperature, use a slotted spoon or frying spider to carefully immerse 4-5 fish balls, one at a time, into the oil. The oil will bubble up immediately but should calm down quite quickly.
  • Don't be tempted to cook more than 4 or 5 fish balls at a time! The oil temperature will drop when you add them to the pan, and too many will lower the temperature too much, meaning that they won't cook properly and will absorb oil and taste greasy.
  • Fry the fish balls, turning regularly, for about 5-6 minutes until a dark golden brown all over. Carefully remove from the pan using a slotted spoon or frying spider, and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
  • Repeat with the remaining balls until they are all cooked.

Notes

Use your thermometer to keep checking the oil temperature as the fish balls cook. If it goes above 190°C (375°F), turn down the heat, otherwise the fish balls will brown too quickly and may still be uncooked in the centre.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Chopped and fried gefilte fish balls
Amount per Serving
Calories
45
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
2
g
3
%
Saturated Fat
 
2
g
13
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Cholesterol
 
19
mg
6
%
Sodium
 
16
mg
1
%
Potassium
 
101
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
1
g
0
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
4
g
8
%
Vitamin A
 
22
IU
0
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
6
mg
1
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword fish
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More tasty fish recipes

For more delicious fish dishes, take a look at these! Easy and impressive grilled sea bass with sauce vierge; Delicious baked fish with hawaij spices and rainbow peppers; Quick and tasty baked salmon with sun-dried tomatoes. 

NB: I was provided with a Thermapen kitchen thermometer to try. I was not obliged to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elizabeth

    March 10, 2021 at 1:49 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for such a great recipe! We loved them, and I made sure to avoid mixing in any coconut like grandma 😉

    Reply
    • Helen

      March 10, 2021 at 3:29 pm

      LOL! Yes, definitely the coconut version is best avoided!

      Reply
    • Jane

      March 18, 2021 at 2:28 pm

      I just made these they are amazing.. just like my mum used to make thanks for the recipe

      Reply
      • Helen

        March 18, 2021 at 4:13 pm

        Thanks Jane – this makes me so happy to hear!

        Reply
  2. Kate

    March 10, 2021 at 1:29 pm

    5 stars
    I love the image of your Mum in her dressing gown in the garage! I know what you mean about the smell of deep-frying, but it is always worth it for the gorgeous fried food! These look wonderful, and so many helpful tips.

    Reply
    • Helen

      March 10, 2021 at 3:28 pm

      Thanks Kate! I agree about it being worth it 🙂

      Reply
  3. Jo

    March 10, 2021 at 12:53 pm

    5 stars
    Seriously so much flavor and so delicious fishballs! And I loved how easy it was to make Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Helen

      March 10, 2021 at 3:28 pm

      Thanks Jo. Glad to hear you enjoyed making and eating them

      Reply
  4. Aimee Mars

    March 10, 2021 at 12:43 pm

    5 stars
    I love that your mom has a special outfit just for making these! They sound absolutely amazing and I’m surprised I’ve never had them after living in NYC for so long. I’m just going to have to make them on my own!

    Reply
    • Helen

      March 10, 2021 at 3:27 pm

      Thanks Aimee – I hope you enjoy them!

      Reply
  5. JayGee

    August 24, 2020 at 7:57 pm

    For the best fish balls ever, add grated carrot and ground almonds. If you hail from Poland you will always add sugar to the seasoning.

    Reply
    • Helen

      August 24, 2020 at 8:30 pm

      Hi JayGee. I’m afraid we’ll have to disagree – I don’t like bits of carrot in my fishballs! And I NEVER add sugar! All the best, Helen x.

      Reply
  6. Patricia Maggs

    February 18, 2020 at 6:08 am

    Made these delish fried gelfilte fish balls from your recipe – FAB U LOUS! Will use them as canapes at parties.

    Reply
    • Helen

      February 18, 2020 at 8:48 pm

      Thanks Patricia! So delighted to hear this 😀

      Reply
  7. Barbara Rhodes

    December 16, 2017 at 2:41 pm

    I learnt an identical recipe from my school friends Austrian-Jewish mother, and I still make them now, 50 years on. They are delicious, I also love them with chrane. My Thermapen is in use daily too. Best way to get a joint of meat just how you like it. measure the internal temperature.

    Reply
    • Helen

      December 17, 2017 at 10:13 pm

      Thanks Barbara – yes, the recipe is pretty classic! You can’t beat fried fishballs and chraine ?

      Reply
  8. Dannii

    October 28, 2016 at 3:34 pm

    We make tuna meatballs pretty often, but I am going to have to try this soon.
    I love our thermapen, and it will come in very handy at Christmas.

    Reply
    • Helen

      October 30, 2016 at 7:49 pm

      Thanks Dannii. My Mum does make a version of these using tinned tuna, or with tinned salmon. I hope you like this ‘traditional’ version!

      Reply
  9. nadiashealthykitchen

    October 28, 2016 at 11:56 am

    They look yummy! I love that this recipe was passed down/inspired by your grandma. I wish I had some of my grandma’s recipes – they always make the tastiest dishes! I really need to get myself a kitchen thermometer.

    Reply
    • Helen

      October 30, 2016 at 7:48 pm

      Thanks! Yes, inherited recipes definitely have something special about them 🙂

      Reply
  10. Claire Jessiman (@foodiequine)

    October 28, 2016 at 10:58 am

    Loving the story about your grandma! I love Coconut Shrimp so don’t think her mistake would have tasted all that bad. My Thermapen is a vital piece of kit and essential when deep fat frying – I could never get that whole cube of bread turning golden to work as a means of testing the oil.

    Reply
    • Helen

      October 30, 2016 at 7:47 pm

      Thanks Claire! Yes, I’m much more confident frying now I have the Thermapen. Expect lots more deep fried recipes!

      Reply
      • Celia

        May 16, 2020 at 12:10 pm

        Please help- my fish balls always appear rather dry, – what am I doing wrong x

        Reply
        • Helen

          May 17, 2020 at 8:09 pm

          Hi Celia. It could be that you are cooking them for too long. It’s important to get the oil temperature right so that they brown at the same time the fish cooks through. If they take a long time to brown it could be that the inside of the fishball is getting overdone and coming out dry. If you have a thermometer to check the oil temperature, then 4-5 minutes at 190°C (375°F) should be just right. I hope this helps! Helen x.

          Reply

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