cookin eels

[1987_uk]

Now i no how to catch eels thanks to you lot :-D i now need to no whats the best way to cook them any suggestions ??? cheers



wayne

[Stew]

I've never eaten or cooked an eel before but I'm putting off doing any real work so I had a little search on the internet.

I thought that this sounds nice
Stir-fried Eel with Black Bean Sauce
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/stirfriedeelwithblac_3207.shtm l)

[Adi007]

...but I'm putting off doing any real work so I had a little search on the internet.


Ain't we all :-D :lol: 8-) :shock: :twisted:

[Stew]

Aah, procrastination is SO much easier when you have the internet.

I try and be good but when I'm doing research on the web anyway it's just far too distracting.

[Curdog]

Although I have never made it myself, smoked eel iw WONDERFUL!!! :-D

I have caught small eels, cleaned them, and threw them into a pot of rice I was boiling. They were fine. Not Gourmet or anything, but perfectly edible field food.

[Roving Rich]

Do ya have to gut em?
:shock: Rich

[Dave Barker]

You can always jelly em.

catch, kill, clean. cut into chunks. Boil in water, let the water cool to cold, boil again. this saves some of the fat ( that turns into jelly),

Just as we do in the East end

[Les Marshall]

My old man used to skin them and cut them up alive and fry them streight from the river, they were the best I ever tasted!!

[Sainthaze]

I've never cooked eels, but I hear tell they are a bit bland. To be honest I just couldn't face them, they look revolting, give me a nice trout any day.

I suppose you could always spice them up a bit with Tabasco sauce or some spices.

[Buckshot]

My old man used to skin them and cut them up alive and fry them streight from the river, they were the best I ever tasted!!

The best tasting eels are cooked as soon as poss from the river. :-P
We knocked them on the head (so they were dead Les), skin and gut them as soon as possible and fry them in bacon fat or butter. The nerves keep the thing moving for ages, it does look like it's still alive, even when it's cut up into chunks :!:
Eat with some nice crusty bread if you have it - luvly :lol:

Bon apetite

Mark

[Cool]

Eels are delicious - there's even specialist japanese restaurants that serve mainly eel dishes. (I think the UK exports loads of eels to Japan).

Fillet them, or just chop them lie a carrot, dunk them in a mix of soy sauce and sugar and stick them on a griddle.

Fantastic.

[woodsitter]

and do you al know what eels like to eat themselves?

I know one traditional (dutch?) way of catching eels, is to tie a half rotten head of a cow or horse to a rope and just toss it in a river or pond. Pull it out twice a day to remove all the eels in the cows brain… :rolleyes:

Happy feasting. :wink:

[Tumper]

A good way to cook eel's...mmmmh, theres several, but my two favourite are as follows.

1) Cut the eel's into decent sized rounds, pop them into a pot of boiling water with 4 tablespoons of non-condi vinegar, and 1 large onion. boil for 20 minutes or so. careful when you chuck 'em in, as the the water can foam up considerably, putting your fire out!

2) Top and tail the eel's. wash off the sticky film that covers them with a dry tea towel, or similar (easier if the eel is left for an hour or so after the kill). Cut into 3-4 inch section, skewer them length ways, and roast over an open fire.

There are a few good additions that really set of the taste. My favourites are blanched onions, cider vinegar, carrots, or all three at once! Whole spanish onions roasted (skins on) are excellent with eel too.

Just for the record, a good eel trap: find a plastic traffic cone. Cut a 1 inch hole out of the 'dip' on the top. Place bait (punctured tin of cat food, etc;) inside. Nail a board across base. Tie a length of rope to cone. Chuck into water. Wait at least 6 hours (best overnight)
The smaller eels can swim in and out, but the larger ones can only get in.

Eel fishing (and eating!) has been a source of cheap fun to me for years. II will be happy to give more info if you PM me

Happy fishing :-D

[Ed]

Eel fishing (and eating!) has been a source of cheap fun to me for years. II will be happy to give more info if you PM me
You can always post this in a new thread in the forum. I think quite a few of us here are interested.

:-)
Ed

[Stuart]

Tell us more! :-D

[Dutchman]

We have an old tradition for eating eels in holland. Maybe some of you guys have heard of Volendam? If you like I'm happy to give some really nice and original dutch recipies. It's not ment to cook in a billy can, well you could offcourse :wink: Very nice to cook at home. and surprice SWMBO

[Ed]

Yes please, that would be great Frank :-)

Ed

[Tumper]

If people want I will write up a few recipes, along with my favourite Eel fishing methods. It won't be until Monday 'tho. The Girlfreind is visiting from Liverpool this weekend.

[Stuart]

tell us all you can :-D

[Dutchman]

1.Gestoofde paling
Traditional simple way
(cooked at sea when the fishermans did't have much time)


clean and cut in pieces 3cm.
put in pot, ad pepper and generous salt
little butter as well
cook 35min. (half gas) with lid on
let steam escape
importent to cook well done,
steam but do not let cook dry
eels get soft (like a stew) and gets special flavour

at home you can serve with boiled patatoes and
butter-and-eek cravy:
half butter
2 spoons vinigar
1 spoon water
0.5 tea spoon pepper
bring to boil, stir and thicken.

[Dutchman]

2.Stoofaal
Recipe from my mother, very nice

1 or 1.5 pound eel cut in pieces 3cm
leave one hour in bowl with water and vinegar
clean and put in pot with very little water
ad halve a lemon, halve butter, salt, pepper
to your own taste ad some green herbs (dille is nice)
ad biscuit crumbs, bring to boil
lower heat and simmer for 20-25min.
taste it and ad some more butter, water or lemon if you like
serve with boiled patatoes, carrots, salade

[Dutchman]

But I like:

-simple baked in fyingpan
-smoked eel, witch you can buy at our local market, this i like the best
-butter cravy with mustard and boiled patatoes

Bon apetit!