Stewed Eels

Ingredients

• the eels
• a bay leaf
• an onion stuck with two cloves
• a bunch of parsley
• an inch of lemon-rind
• about half a pint of stock
• salt
• cayenne
• the juice of half a lemon
• a glass of red wine

Method

1. 1

   Kill and skin the eels, gut them without breaking the gall, and cut into 2-inch pieces.

2. 2

   Soak in salt water for 1 hour.

3. 3

   Dry, roll in seasoned flour, and fry until browned.

4. 4

   Place in a stew-pan with bay leaf, onion, parsley, lemon rind, and stock.

5. 5

   Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

6. 6

   Strain gravy, thicken with flour, add salt, cayenne, essence of anchovy, and lemon juice.

7. 7

   Simmer for 10 minutes.

8. 8

   Optionally add red wine.

9. 9

   Serve eels with sauce and garnish with sippets.

As published

This recipe was extracted from A year's cookery (1880) by Phillis Browne, page 39. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

Stewed Eels. — If tlie cook has to kill and skin the eels, she should first drive the skewer into the spinal marrow just behind the head, in order to kill it. She should remember not to cut off the creature’s head in order to kill it, or it will continue to wriggle as though alive. The fish should be skinned immediately. To do this, cut through the skin round the neck, and turn it down about an inch ; then passing a skewer through the head, by which it can be firmly held, take hold of the skin with a rough cloth, and draw it gently off. It will come away with ease and without injuring the flesh. After this, gut the eel without breaking the gall, cut off the bristles which run up the back, divide into pieces about two inches in length, and lay these in strong salt and water for one hour. This will entirely stop the quivering of the flesh, supposing this still continues, in fact or in imagination. Dry the pieces well, roll them in flour seasoned with pepper and salt, and fry them in a little good dripping till they are lightly browned. Let them drain till cold ; this will deprive them of the oily taste which often proves so objectionable. Put them into a clean stew-pan, with a bay leaf, an onion stuck with two cloves, a bunch of parsley, an inch of lemon-rind, and about half a pint of stock made from trimmings. Let them simmer gently from twenty to thirty minutes according to their thickness. Take them up, and keep them hot till the sauce is ready. Strain the gravy, thicken it with a little flour, add to it salt and cayenne, a few drops of essence of anchovy, and the juice of half a lemon ; let it simmer for ten minutes. If permitted, a glass of red wine

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.