Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Eel Soup, White. — Set a saucepan of water on the fire ; season with salt, whole pepper, a blade of mace, a strip of lemon-peel, and a bunch of the most fragrant sweet herbs at command. When it boils, throw in the eels. As soon as they are done enough (and they are spoiled if done too much) — just enough to let the flesh come away from the bone — take them out, split them in two, and remove the bone. Each length of eel will thus make two pieces, which should be left entire. Set them aside. Chop fine three or four white onions. Roll a lump of butter in flour; put it in a stewpan with the onions ; moisten gradually with a little of the eel broth. When the onions are tender, add the rest of the liquor (removing the herbs and the lemon-peel), stirring it in gradually, with a tea-cupful of fresh milk. Throw in the eel meats, and set the soup aside until they are hot through. While they are so heating, you may further thicken with a couple of egg-yolks well worked into a little of the liquor. Taste if sufficiently seasoned. You will find an almost imperceptible dust of sugar an improvement. In fact, most white soups, even when seasoned with salt, are the better for a sprinkling with sugar. Eels (a la Boulette) . — When the eel has been skinned and cleaned, cut into pieces, and roll the pieces first in melted butter, and then in flour. Put the pieces of eel into a stewpan with equal quantities of white wine and water ; add a bunch of herbs, some mushi-ooms, pepper, and salt, and stew till done ; then remove the fish, and thicken the gravy with the yolk of an egg. After skimming off the fat from the surface, serve quickly, and add a squeeze of lemon-juice, and a little vinegar. Time to stew, three-quarters of an hour. Probable cost, 6d. to Is. per pound. Eels (a la Tartare). — Skin and cleanse two or three eels, cut them into pieces of two inches, and let the pieces lie half an hour in salt and water. Take equal quantities of red wine and stock broth, a gill of each ; simmer the pieces of eel in this until nearly done. When cool, dip each piece separately into oiled butter or beaten egg, cover with bread-crumbs, and broil or fry till all are nicely browned. Serve with tartar sauce on the dish {see Tartar Sauce). Bread crusts browned in the oven, and then pounded fine, make the best crumbs for eels. Time, twenty-five minutes to simmer ; to fry, five minutes. Sufficient, two pounds, for five or six persons. EEL ( 193 ) EEL Eels, Baked. — Take a large eel that has been skinned and well cleansed. Fill it with a forcemeat composed of the following ingredients : three tahle- spoonfuls of bread-crumbs, and the same quantity of shelled shrimps, a little pounded mace, two ounces of butter, pepper, and salt, pounded to a paste, with the beaten yolk of an egg. When stuffed, put the eel into a round baking-dish with water and sherry, the quantity of the former being twice as much as that of the latter, add two or three ounces of butter, and bake. Wlicn ready to serve, skim and strain the gravy. Garnish with slices of lemon. Time, three-quarters of an hour to bake. Probable cost, 6d. to Is. per pound. Sufficient for two or more persons.