Fishmongers usually sell eels live. Eels are a traditional ingredient in the typical French freshwater fish stew, Matelote. They’re also very popular in Catalonia. Hot-smoked eel is considered a delicacy and is popular in Northern Europe, while jellied eels are a traditional and popular dish in the East End of London.
Eels Cornish recipe
Skin, empty, and wash as clean as possible, two or three fine eels, cut them short, and just cover them with cold water; add sufficient salt to season them, and stew them very softly from fifteen to twenty minutes.
When they are nearly done, strew over them a teaspoonful of minced parsley, thicken the sauce with a teaspoonful of flour mixed with a slice of butter, and add a quarter of a pint of cream. Give a boil, lift the fish into a hot dish, and stir the juice of half a lemon into the sauce; pour it upon the eels, and serve them immediately. Very sweet thick cream is, we think, preferable to clotted cream for this dish. The sauce should be of a good consistence, and a dessert spoonful of flour will be needed for a large dish of the stew, and from one and a half to two ounces of butter. The size of the fish must determine the quantity of liquid and of seasoning that they will require.
Eel sauce
Also called Nitsume, Unagi or Kabayaki, it is a sweet and salty sauce that goes over grilled fish or chicken and is a common drizzle over sushi. Traditionally it is used on Japanese grilled eel and eel rolls. This sauce is used over fresh cooked noodles for a quick snack. 1/2 cup of dashi can be added to create a richer, more authentic flavor. (Dashi is a fish stock that must be made at home).
Smoked eel and crisp pork belly confit with baby beetroot and horseradish cream
Ingredients
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- 1 piece good-quality pork belly on the bone, with skin intact
- sea salt
- head garlic, cut horizontally in half
- small bunch of thyme
- 6 bay leaves
- about 500ml/18fl oz duck fat or pork fat
- 14 raw baby beetroot
- about 50ml/2fl oz olive oil
- 4 fillets smoked eel, each 50-75g/2-2¾oz
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- parsley leaves, young beetroot leaves or baby salad leaves to garnish
- For the horseradish cream
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- 5 tbsp freshly grated horseradish root
- 4 tbsp crème fraîche
- squeeze of lemon juice
Preparation method
- Rub the pork belly all over with sea salt, then with garlic. Scrunch the thyme and three of the bay leaves in your hands, and rub these all over . Cover and leave in the fridge for 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 140C/285F.
- Remove the garlic and herbs from the pork and reserve. Warm the duck or pork fat in a roasting tin until it becomes liquid. You may need to add more fat. Add the reserved garlic and herbs, and bring the fat to the boil. Cover with a heavy lid, put in the oven and cook for about three hours. Place in the fridge overnight.
- The next day, wash the beetroot and place them in a pan of cold water with the bay leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer for 40-50 minutes or until tender. Cool the beetroot in the liquid, then peel off the skins. Purée two of the beetroots in a food processor or blender. Stir in the olive oil to give the purée a consistency.
- Make the horseradish cream by stirring all the ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate .
- Remove the solid pork belly from the roasting tin. Turn the pork over.
- To serve, spoon some horseradish cream onto each plate, add three beetroots (sliced if you like), some slices of pork belly and some pieces of eel fillet. Finish by garnishing with leaves, and spooning beetroot purée around each plate.
