All About Eels
In London, restaurants used to serve eel pie with mashed potatoes and parsley sauce. This was a very long standing culinary tradition but I'm told that today it is no longer eel but meat. Jellied eels are still served.
Eel is low in Sodium. It is also a good source of Phosphorus, and a very good source of Protein, Vitamin A and Vitamin B12.
So, here is my collection of vintage eel recipes. To be honest, I will probably never try eel so I can't give you any recommendations. You are on your own. Good luck!
About these eel recipes...
Be Adventurous! Give Eels a try!
I found these eel recipes in a vintage cook book, I'm guessing circa 1900. It assumes proficiency in the kitchen as it gives neither cooking times nor temperatures for most of the recipes. A good modern cook book should have some guidelines for cooking fish and could be used in conjunction with these recipes. Good luck and enjoy!
English Eel Pie
A tried and true eel recipe
ENGLISH EEL PIE
Skin, clean, and cut up two large eels. Cook with one tablespoon of butter, half a cup of chopped mushrooms, a tablespoon of chopped parsley, a minced onion, a bay leaf, salt, pepper, the rind of a lemon, a wine glass of Sherry, and a cup of beef stock. Cook until the eels are tender, strain the sauce, and thicken with butter and flour. Line a baking dish with pastry, put the eels in it, and pour the sauce over, with sliced hard boiled eggs on top. Cover with pastry, brush with yolk of egg, and bake for an hour in a moderate oven. Serve either hot or cold.
A beautiful dish for eel pie!
This pie dish would make eels look great!
Typhoon 39196 Red Large Pie Dish
Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
* Perfect for pies, flans, tarts and EEL PIE.
* 10 x 2-1/2
* Oven, microwave, dishwasher safe.
* Made from high quality stoneware.
Pie and Mash
See how they used to make traditional eel pie and mash.
Eels a la London
An eel recipe from back in the day.
EELS À LA LONDON
Fry four chopped onions in butter, dredge with flour, and cook thoroughly. Add two cups of stock, half a cup of Port wine, two bay leaves, and salt and pepper to season. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add one large cleaned eel, cut into two-inch lengths, cover, and cook for fifteen minutes. Serve on toast.
Isn't this a gorgeous heart shaped pan?
Cook your eels in this lovely pan from Le Creuset
Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 2-Quart Heart Casserole, Red
Amazon Price: $149.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
* Can be used in the oven or on the stovetop
* Enameled cast iron efficiently conducts and retains heat
* Heavy, tight-fitting lid; knob on lid is ovenproof to 450 degrees F
* Holds 2 quarts
* Dishwasher-safe; 101-year warranty
* Cook eels in it.
Eel Gear
Declare your love for eels with these shirts, cards and calendars.
eel today Fitted T-Shirt
Price: 21.99
Calendar Print
Price: 5.00
My Turf
Price: 18.79
Eel XING Women's Plus Size Scoop Neck Dark T-Shirt
Price: 31.99
My Eel Ate My Homework Women's Dark T-Shirt
Price: 26.99
Eels or no eels?
Eels are not appealing to my American palate. Perhaps you feel differently. Lots of people in other parts of the world love them. What do you think?
Eels or no eels?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byDo you or would you eat eels?
NAIZA says:
I have tried some local eel dish cooked here.. so I was never shocked! LOL! :)
Posted February 10, 2009
JasonE says:
I have tried unagi nigiri (cooked freshwater eel) sushi and it's not bad. (It's teriyaki-flavored, grilled and on rice.) I can't say that it had me hankering for an eel pie, though!
Posted October 07, 2008
Nope. Nope. Nope. No eels for me.
Chidrens' Book on Eels
Get the kids involved! Very informative book on eels.
Think of an Eel Big Book (Read and Wonder)
Amazon Price: $24.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
Kindergarten-Grade 2-Bright, attractive watercolor paintings combine with a prosaic text to create an appealing description of the amazing life cycle of an eel. Each double-page spread is an artful arrangement of oversize text and a large, colorful impressionistic illustration, often embellished with small watercolor insets showing details mentioned in the narrative. Italic-style captions state simple facts about the snakelike creatures. A short, factual introduction and a brief index introduce the nonfiction format to future report writers. An interesting, visually attractive, nonthreatening look at a creature commonly viewed as ugly and menacing.
Fricasseed Eels
This eel recipe looks fairly easy.
FRICASSÉED EELS
Skin, clean, and cut up. Cover with cold water, add salt, and minced parsley to season, cover, and cook slowly for an hour. Thicken with a tablespoon each of butter and flour blended together and made smooth with cold water. Season highly with pepper, and serve.
Beautiful Blue French Oven
Great for cooking Fricasseed Eels
Le Creuset 2-3/4 Quart Oval French Oven, Caribbean
Amazon Price: $224.95 (as of 07/10/2009)
* Handmade enameled cast-iron construction; works with all cooking surfaces
* Allows you to bake, broil, braise, saute, marinate, refrigerate, and freeze
* Food will not react with porcelain enamel surface
* Dishwasher-safe
* Lifetime warranty
Smoked EEL
An eel all ready for your eel recipes.
Smoked EEL, approx. 0.5-0.7lb
Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
Ready to serve smoked eel. Ingredients: Eel, Salt, Natural Wood Smoke. Product of Canada.
Stewed Eels
A classic recipe for cooking eels
STEWED EELS
Put into a saucepan three fourths of a cup of butter and fry in it four small chopped onions. Add a tablespoon of flour, cook through, and add two cups of boiling water or stock. Cook until thick, stirring constantly, then put in one large cleaned eel cut into inch pieces; cover and cook for fifteen minutes.
A lovely Le Creuset saucepan
Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 1-1/4-Quart Precision Pour Saucepan with Cover, Cobalt Blue
Amazon Price: $109.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
* Le Creuset enameled cast iron goes easily from oven or stovetop to the table.
* Each piece features a non-abrasive bottom and a long-lasting, shock-resistant finish
* Enameled cast iron distirbutes heat evenly and retains heat longer.
* Performs on all heat sources - gas, electric, induction and ceramic top. Phenolic knobs and handles are oven safe to 400 degree's.
* Warranted for the lifetime of the original owner, whether self-purchased or received as a gift.
Electric Eel Powering Christmas Tree Lights
ELECTRIC EEL LIGHTS UP CHRISTMAS TREE
An aquarium in Japan has come up with a novel way of generating free electricity to light up a Christmas tree.
Runtime: 1:07
194752 views
10 Comments:
A snazzy apron to wear while you are cooking eels.
A great retro apron!
The Dorothy Apron $39.95
Product Information
If you are cooking eels, why not look your best? This is an adorable retro apron.
Garter and Gloves sold separately.
From the Get Go Retro website:
We are proud to offer Retro Aprons designed and produced exclusively by Carolyn West of Carolyn's Aprons. Retro aprons and glove sets are fun, sexy and all about feeling glamorous; these sets enhance the merriment of playing whimsical dress-up combined with the indulgent delights of naughty pin-ups. Featured in numerous media outlets, these apron sets are also sweet treats for yourself and fun gifts for mothers, sisters, daughters, and brides.
Cool embellished gloves to match the apron.
Retro gloves complete the ensemble!
The Dorothy Gloves $22.00
Product Information
Pretty, yet practical gloves to go with the apron. Who says you have to look frumpy in the kitchen?
Eel Sushi
When my son was home on leave from the Navy in the fall of 2008 we went to a Japanese restaurant and he surprised me by ordering eel sushi! He's pretty adventurous like that. I tried it too and I really couldn't tell what the eel tasted like.
Eels en Brochette
Eels on a stick. I wonder why we didn't see these at the county fair this year? Maybe some enterprising entrepreneur will take this idea and run with it!
EELS EN BROCHETTE
Simmer the eel in a court bouillon and cut into two-inch pieces. Dip into egg and crumbs and string on steel skewers, alternating with squares of bacon. Bake in the oven and serve on toast.
COURT BOUILLON
Cut fine a stalk of celery, a carrot, an onion, and a small sweet pepper. Fry in butter, and add eight cups of water, one cup of vinegar, and the trimmings of fish. Season with salt and pepper, add half a bay leaf, four cloves, and two sprigs of parsley. Boil for ten minutes and let cool thoroughly before cooking the fish in it.
Great for baking Eels En Brochette!
Le Creuset Square Dish Bonus, Kiwi
Amazon Price: $34.95 (as of 07/10/2009)
When you buy this 9-in Square Baker you receive a 5-in Square Baker as a free gift! This non-porous, 9-in square enameled Casserole features high-fired stoneware that efficiently absorbs, holds and transfers heat. Excellent for baking, it can be brought to the table for serving as well.Le Creuset's Stoneware is truly an All-in-One Dish that you can bake, slice, serve and store in. Stoneware can be used in the oven, broiler or microwave and will not absorb odors or flavors. The durable finish resists chipping, scratching and staining. These beautiful pieces with their bold classic colors and sure grip handles go straight from baking to the table making a beautiful presentation, then into the refrigerator or freezer for storage.
Boneless Eel Filets
Eel Fillets, Smoked Boneless (Roland) 3.66oz (104g)
Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
Smoked boneless eel fillets in cottonseed oil, salt added. Precooked and ready to serve. This delicacy can be eaten as is, or can be added to soups or stews. Easy open tin. Product of Thailand.
Green Eels
GREEN EELS
Boil together an onion, a bunch of parsley, a pinch of celery seed, and a teaspoonful of mixed spices in a little water. Add two cleaned and cut eels with water to cover and simmer until done. Strain the sauce, thicken with butter and flour cooked together, and pour over the eels. Serve with boiled potatoes and cucumber salad.
A green pan for cooking Green Eels!
Le Creuset 2-3/4-Quart Soup Pot, Kiwi
Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
Just one of the many handsome and unique pieces from Le Creuset - a beautiful oven-to-table vessel made of cast iron with a gorgeous, kiwi color enamel coating. Fashioned with two side handles and a lid for keeping your soups, stews, chowders, GREEN EELS, or risotto dishes hot until they reach the table. Oven-safe to 450 degrees F.About Le Creuset... Since 1925, artisans have been crafting Le Creuset cookware in the French village of Fresnoy Le Grand. Each piece of Le Creuset cast iron cookware is handcast, polished, double enamel-coated and then fired, resulting in some of the finest quality cookware available. Cast iron is one of the best materials for distributing heat gently and thoroughly and is ideal for induction ranges. The strong enamel coating will not absorb odors or flavors, and is easy to clean. Heavy lids securely seal in moisture and flavor. So lasting, you'll pass it on to the next generation of promising cooks.
Frasier ~ The Innkeeper ~The eel scene
Consider The Eel: A Natural And Gastronomic History
Consider The Eel: A Natural And Gastronomic History
Amazon Price: $16.95 (as of 07/10/2009)
What a strange and fascinating little fish the eel is. It breeds in the Sargasso Sea, a stretch of Atlantic waters between Bermuda and the Azores; the young then migrate to freshwater creeks and rivers, where they may live for years before migrating back to the Sargasso Sea to mate. This migration pattern, the opposite of that of salmon, is shared only with the mullet, and how eels navigate the distances remains a mystery. They are picky eaters, have a sense of smell equal to that of dogs, and appear to be a barometer of pollution levels in water systems. In addition, eels are the only farmed fish that we have been unsuccessful in coaxing to reproduce in captivity.
Matelote of Eels
Tired of the same old recipes? Charge up your repetoire with Eels!
MATELOTE OF EELS
Prepare two eels and cut them into two-inch lengths. Cover with cold salted water and bring to the boil. Add an onion, a dozen cloves, and two tablespoons of vinegar. Boil for fifteen minutes, drain, dry, roll in flour and fry brown in butter. Add two cups of boiling water, and salt, pepper, and fine herbs to season. Add a cup of button onions peeled and fried brown in butter and sugar. Cover and simmer for one hour. If the sauce should evaporate, add more boiling water. When done, add half a cup of wine and serve.
Matelote of eels would look great in this pot!
Le Creuset 4 1/4 Quart Soup Pot with Cover, Caribbean
Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
Round 4-1/2-quart soup pot made of cast iron with 2 coats of colorful enamel and perfect for cooking MATELOTE OF EELS.
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I hope you enjoyed my lens on eels.
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What do you think about this eel business?
Maybe I'm missing something.
JaguarJulie wrote...
Eek! Eel !!! Nope, won't be trying this any time soon -- I'll leave this to my adventurous hubby -- he's like Mikey! Especially with sushi-grade. Most unique topic my dear!
Posted April 30, 2009
bellesque wrote
Oh, I love this page of eel info. My spousal unit found this because we are going to the UK soon and I said: "You know, I've read in so many novels about eel pie. I wonder if they still serve that in London..." This page is super, lots of great stuff. Not sure I'll actually try eel pie or any other eel if I find it, but he will. He's had it once before and had a didn't love it/didn't hate it reaction. But then he's eaten fried grasshoppers.
Posted March 17, 2009
kiwisoutback wrote...
I had to check out out this lens based on the title, but I probably will never eat eel. If somebody else ordered it, I'd try a bite. Great work thinking of this unique recipe topic!
Posted January 12, 2009
EverythingMouse wrote...
Not sure I could try tasting an eel.......I have heard they are a delicacy. There was one Gordon Ramsay program that I remember where even he was a bit squeamish about killing one. I think the heart is the most prized bit - to be eaten fresh. Yuk!
Posted August 29, 2008
redwhiteandgrew wrote...
This made me smile. A SQUIDoo on eels...very clever. Or fishy?
Never tried an eel. Might do it, though. Thanks for a really original read. And I learned stuff!
Posted August 24, 2008
JonitasKalimpo wrote...
Here in my country (Portugal), we call it "enguias", and is a very popular dish. We've many recipes around the eel.
Posted August 22, 2008
Stazjia wrote...
I've eaten eels and they are just fishy. Here in the UK, it's quite rare for people to eat them outside of London or seaside resorts where they sell jellied eels.
I really like this lens.
Posted August 19, 2008
