From the menu of … The Kosher Gourmet, 2153 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta. 404-636-1114; www.kgatl.com
Q. I recently had the whitefish salad from The Kosher Gourmet in Atlanta and it was the best whitefish salad I’ve ever tasted. I would love to be able to make this at home. Can you get the recipe from them?
Thanks.
Tammy Feinreich, Atlanta
A. Owner Steve Gilmer patiently explained the recipe, which depends almost totally on the quality of the whitefish. He buys his from Acme Smoked Fish in Brooklyn and says locally available whitefish pales by comparison. Acme's whitefish is hot smoked freshwater fish from the Great Lakes. To reproduce The Kosher Gourmet's recipe, you'll need to find smoked whitefish sold whole. The Burford Highway Farmers Market carries it in their Eastern European deli section.
Gilmer says the second key is to remember that you’re not making “mayonnaise salad.” The amount of mayonnaise called for here is just enough to bind the fish together.
This is the recipe for his basic whitefish salad. On occasion, he will add very finely chopped carrot, celery, yellow or red onion or yellow bell pepper. He says those additions are up to you. This is one of the most popular choices on the restaurant’s catering menu. At the restaurant, they carefully remove the skin from the whitefish, make the salad and then pack it back into the skin. If you’re up for it, that makes a very impressive presentation.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of restaurant in the subject line.
The Kosher Gourmet’s Smoked Whitefish Salad
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Makes: 3 cups
2 pounds whole smoked whitefish
1/2 cup mayonnaise, more if needed
1 tablespoon lemon juice, more if needed
1 tablespoon matzo meal, optional
Bone the flesh, discarding bones and discarding skin unless planning to stuff the salad back into the skin. Roughly chop flesh.
In a medium bowl, combine flesh with mayonnaise, lemon juice and matzo meal, if using. Lightly mix together and taste for seasoning, adding more lemon juice or mayonnaise if needed.
Per 1/4-cup serving: 157 calories (percent of calories from fat, 51), 18 grams protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 9 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 28 milligrams cholesterol, 823 milligrams sodium.
