Eel is quickly becoming a wonderful delicacy across Europe and the United States. The problem is, people are willing to try it in a restaurant, but are fearful of cooking it at home. This article will help you overcome that fear with a simple straight forward method of how to select, prep and cook your Eel. Unlike other fish, Eel needs to be cooked very fresh. This means, you cannot buy it dead from a fish monger and simply cook it a few hours later. You must buy it live and keep it alive until you are ready to cook it. Eel can be stored in a plastic bag full of water and transported to your home where it will swirl and swim around while you are busily preparing for its culinary destiny.
To kill and prep the Eel, you will need a sharp knife, a hammer and nail, a wooden cutting board and pliers. A bag of ice is also handy. A fisherman’s trick is to put the fish on ice a few minutes prior to scaling it. The freezing temperatures will paralyze the fish, so that you can gut it without it flopping about. Wear rubber gloves to handle the Eel, they are very slimy, so hang on tight. Take the sharp chopping knife and cut the head of quickly to kill the fish. Using a hammer and nail, nail the Eel to the cutting board so that you can keep it from slipping when you skin it. To skin the Eel, simply cut slits along its side and use a pair of pliers to pull the skin downward along its body. Rinse the Eel with cold water and rub with salt before cooking. Eel is nice served on top of homemade salsa, which can be prepared in twenty minutes. Simply throw 500 grams of plum tomatoes into a pan with a little bit of olive oil. Cook until the tomatoes pull away from their skin. Then add a handful of basil leaves and coriander leaves. Let the leaves cook down, stirring frequently. Finally, add fresh lemon juice to the salsa. When the salsa is ready, pour onto a plate and set aside. Now you are ready for the Eel.
A simple recipe for pan fried Eel involves using the following ingredients: olive oil, Maldon sea salt, coarse black pepper, rosemary stems, flour and a splash of sherry vinegar. Cut the Eel into 2cm sections and roll it in a bit of flour that has been seasoned with Maldon salt and black pepper. Pour extra virgin olive oil in to a heavy pan and turn the heat on high. Add rosemary stems to the oil to give the oil some flavor. Next, simply add your Eel to the pan and let it simmer on both sides until opaque. Add a splash of sherry vinegar to strengthen the seasoning of the Eel. When the Eel is ready, pour it onto the bed of salsa and serve. Garlic bread or French bread goes nicely with this dish.