[Liz] The carrot served on top of gefilte fish is sometimes called the yarmulke, but it always looks so limp and sad, and it really has no flavor. This recipe combines the carrot’s color with the classic gefilte condiment, horseradish relish.

Each holiday, we’ve given out a version of this recipe, and many devoted fans have been making it every year. It’s also delicious in a Pickle Brine Bloody Mary. Feel free to play with the ratio of carrots to horseradish for a milder or spicier final product.

If you don’t have a food processor, don’t be deterred. You can make this recipe by finely chopping the carrots, grating the 8 horseradish on the small or medium holes of a box grater, and mixing it all together in a large bowl with the other ingredients.

Serving Size

Makes About 1 Quart Relish

Ingredients

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and halved

• 1⁄2 pound coarsely chopped peeled horseradish root

• 1⁄4 cup sugar

• 1⁄4 cup distilled white vinegar

• 1 cup cold water

• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

• 31⁄4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Place the carrots in a saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for about 5 minutes, until the carrots are cooked through but not soft. Drain the carrots and place them in a food processor along with the horseradish pieces.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, and cold water and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.

3. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt to the food processor. With the motor running, slowly pour in the vinegar-sugar mixture. You do not want the relish to be soupy, so add the liquid a bit at a time and stop at the point when the carrots and horseradish are fully coated, shiny, and moist. You may need to stop and stir a few times to ensure that the horseradish is fully ground. Run the processor until the horseradish and carrots are evenly ground and as fine as your processor can get them.

4. Transfer the relish to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving with homemade or store-bought gefilte fish. Horseradish relish will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 months.

Excerpted from the book THE GEFILTE MANIFESTO by Jeffrey Yoskowitz & Liz Alpern. Copyright © 2016 by Gefilte Manifesto LLC. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved. Photography by Lauren Volo.