A 'Warm' Tradition

One of the most cherished traditions Zahava and I inherited from my mother's family is a delicious recipe for lightly breaded fried sole flounder fillets.  I'll be happy to share the recipe so long as people don't mind measurements like 'a pinch'... 'a smidgen'... 'a sprinkling'... etc., but be prepared... because the true greatness of this oniony, peppery dish is the fact that it is served cold.

In order to do this recipe justice it needs to be prepared well in advance.  As each batch is passed carefully from the frying pan to the platter and stacked gently between layers of paper towel to absorb the excess oil, the house fills with the intoxicating smell of fried onions and pepper that are part and parcel of the breading.

Once finished, all the fish is placed lovingly in the refrigerator to await the hungry crowd that will hungrily devour every last crumb and stray burnt onion.

This recipe was passed down from my Great Grandma Dora (my mother's paternal grandmother), and my mother has fond memories of frequently enjoying it at her grandma's table as a little girl.   

For years, 'Grandma Dora's fish' was an eagerly anticipated informal weeknight staple at our house.  Forks and knives were the preferred way of eating... but late in the meal fingers often saw action in search of the last stray bits of fish or onion between the oil-stained paper towels.

The funny thing is that as sometimes happens, my parents recently found out something interesting about the recipe from a long-lost relative.

A few years back I went on a genealogy jag and documented many generations of ancestors on both sides of my family.   In the process I also unearthed a bunch of living relatives with whom my mother had lost touch for most of her adult life. 

During a trip down south my parents made arrangements to pop in and say hello to one of these lost relations, and the visit provided a wonderful opportunity for all parties to catch up and share family gossip.  One topic that my mom raised during the visit was our family's reverence for Grandma Dora's cold fish recipe.

This pronouncement was met with utter incomprehension from the relatives my parents were visiting.  My parents went on to describe the recipe with its breading, fried onions and pepper... and suddenly a look of comprehension dawned on the faces of our relatives.  They knew exactly the recipe my parents were talking about... only it was always supposed to be served piping hot directly from the skillet!

It took only a few minutes to sort out how the culinary traditions had parted ways.

It seems that my mother's extended family was fairly large... and as the matriarch, Grandma Dora couldn't host everyone at once.  So, some relatives were routinely invited for leftovers. 

Now, I'm not saying that my mother's part of the family were second-class citizens in the pecking order of familial love or anything (although it certainly would seem that way), but more often than not they were the ones invited over on nights when Grandma Dora was serving left-overs... and quite frequently these leftovers included cold fried fish.

Personally, I can't imagine Grandma Dora's fish served hot.  The very idea offends both my palate and my sense of tradition.  Served cold, it is the perfect informal weeknight summer dish accompanied by fresh corn on the cob (smothered in clarified butter) and washed down with lots of lemonade or iced tea.   Serving it outside on a patio or deck seems to only enhance the enjoyment!

I, for one, am hugely relieved that, for whatever reason, my grandparents were not sufficiently close to Grandma Dora to warrant a dinner invitation on nights when the fish was served hot.  I know it probably sounds selfish to an outsider, but if not for a certain prevailing 'coldness' towards our branch of the family tree, some of my most treasured childhood sensory memories would never have come to be.

Many people read the words 'cold fish' and think of an aloof, unemotional person.  But for me, it will always conjure the very warmest associations of familial tradition and love.

Update (by popular demand):

Grandma Dora’s Fish Recipe (as transcribed by Zahava)

The Onions
Minimum 3 large onions, sliced for frying
Oil for frying (use olive usually)
Salt for frying (makes the onions crisp faster)

Gently heat oil prior to adding onions. Add onions and salt lightly. Add additional salt when “turning” onions to assure they brown evenly. Fry onions until brown and crisp. Remove onions from fry pan and drain on paper towels. Retain the oil — onion flavor in the oil greatly enhances the flavor of the fish!

The Fish
Note: you should assume minimum of a quarter pound of fish per person.

One Kilo flounder fillets (2 lbs +/-) -- if you use frozen fillets, thaw completely before frying
2 or so eggs, gently beaten
Matzo-meal (generous amount — usually start with at least 1.5 cups, though you may need more)
Salt/pepper to taste (we use LOTS of black pepper)

Again, heat oil before adding fish. Oil is hot enough when a drop of water “bounces” in the oil (a tip from Zahava’s Grandmother). Dip each fish fillet in the beaten egg, and then dredge in the seasoned matzo-meal. Fry breaded fillet until edges begin to brown and then turn to cook the other side — generally 3-5 minutes per side. Remove cooked fillet and drain on paper towels.

Chilling
For best flavor, it is advised to place fish and onions in layers between new sheets of paper towels and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours) -- start with layer of towel, then layer of fish, then layer of onion, then start again with layer of towel. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

Recommended side dishes:
  Corn-on-the-cob
  Sliced tomato
  Potato salad
  Antacid (good, but still greasy)  =:-P