Recipes for dishes with smoked eel. Eel fish: preparation and beneficial properties. Smoked eel soup "Yanagawa nabe"

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19.01.11

The eel is perhaps the most mysterious representative, similar to a snake, but part of the fish order. In Latin it sounds like Anguilla. This fish has been known since ancient times, more precisely for more than 2000 thousand years.

The eel is unpretentious and can live in various bodies of water. For example, you can meet it in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, in countries such as England, France, Ireland and Iceland. A large, adult individual lives in these places.

In the rivers of the Atlantic coast of America from Guiana and Panama in the south to Greenland in the north, there lives a very close subspecies, distinguished by a smaller number of vertebrae.
There is another interesting subspecies - the Japanese eel, more multivertebral, with a dark border on the fins. It lives in the rivers of Japan and the Pacific coast of Asia from Liaohe to Canton. Tender and fatty eel meat is highly prized, especially when smoked. According to the Japanese, eel contains many vitamins and other useful substances; it is considered a medicinal and healthy dish in Japanese cooking. Smoked eel dishes are very useful for men, as the substances contained in eel have a beneficial effect on men's health. Smoked unagi eel is used to make sushi, rolls, and sashimi. In Japan, smoked eel dishes are considered expensive and are most often served to guests.

In Russia, the river eel is common in the rivers of the Baltic states and Belarus, and only there it serves as an object of fishing. The eel sometimes reaches 2 meters in length, weighing up to 6 kilograms. The scales of such a representative are small, inconspicuous, usually without a silvery sheen, the back is dark green or brown, the sides are yellow, the belly is yellowish or white. The color of the eel is variable and depends on the age of the fish and the nature of the reservoir. The skin is slimy and slippery, making a live eel very difficult to hold in your hands.
In nature, there are two forms of eels - sharp-headed and broad-headed. The sharp-headed eel is more valuable than the broad-headed one. The fat content of the sharphead reaches 27.5%, while that of the broadhead is only 12-19%.

Eel has gained considerable fame in cooking. Fish is fried, stewed, baked and smoked. Eel is sold at many fish markets in the city. You can buy eel either fresh or frozen, or already cooked, for example, hot smoked eel. You can also sometimes find canned eel sold in large supermarkets. Fresh eel is sold in many European countries.

Many countries have their own original recipes. For example, in Great Britain, on the River Thames, there is a small island known almost throughout the world for its eel pies. This dish is served both hot and cold. Many people come here specifically to try it. And so that no one takes the wrong path, the island is called Il-Pai, that is, “eel pie.”

French and Belgian gastronomes prepare matelote from eel. The fish is stewed in broth with the addition of shallots fried in butter, flour, red wine and herbs. By the way, very often eel is stewed. For variety - with garlic, herbs, spinach, prunes. In Italy, filleted eel is also grilled and served with leaves. fresh salad. In Lithuania, they smoke it and offer it with beer. In addition to adult eels, young eels are also used in cooking - a small translucent fish. This “trifle” is simply fried in hot olive oil, adding garlic, pepper and salt.
Cutting a live eel is a real art. Professionals advise holding the slippery carcass firmly with a paper or linen towel and hitting its head on a hard surface (or using a wooden hammer), then pierce the fish’s head with a sharp knife and wash off the mucus. To prevent the fish from slipping out of your hands, there is another way - rub your hands and the carcass with salt and quickly treat it, then wash off the salt. The most important step in cutting is to pull off the skin with a stocking, then cut off the head, making a longitudinal cut, remove the entrails, and rinse again. Small eels are deep-fried (they are not cleaned at all), large ones are smoked, fried, grilled, used as one of the ingredients for fish soup. Eel is also good in the form of Japanese yakitori kebabs, for which it is advisable to lightly marinate it in soy sauce infused with ginger and honey.

Fresh boiled eel in marinade

Ingredients:

• per 1 kg of fish
• 1 parsley and celery root, 1 onion, 1 bay leaf, 4 allspice peas
• marinade:
• 1 glass of water
• 1 cup vinegar, diluted to taste
• 3 onions
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• 3 allspice peas

Cooking method: Cut the prepared eel into pieces and boil in a hot, spicy broth. Ready fish remove from the broth. Place in an enamel or ceramic bowl. Prepare the marinade by cutting the onion into thin rings, boiling water with vinegar, salt, sugar and spices, putting the onion in it, boiling again, and then cooling. Pour this marinade over the fish and refrigerate. Serve garnished with pickled vegetables and parsley sprigs. To ensure that the eel is well soaked in the marinade, it is better to cook it the day before. Can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Natalia Petrova, especially for the site

Photo: Depositphotos.com/@ Jim_Filim

Fish dishes are tasty and healthy, but they can also be unusual or even exotic if you use less popular ingredients. For example, something interesting and delicious can be prepared from eel.

Fish or snake?

Eel is a tropical fish belonging to the eel family. There are nineteen species in total, and all of them are eaten by people. The striking feature of the eel is that it closely resembles a snake, and this resemblance is achieved due to its elongated, wriggling body. It is flattened on the sides; there are fins on the back and on the other side near the tail. The head is small, the mouth is large and literally strewn with small teeth. Such an aquatic inhabitant is considered a predator and feeds on crustaceans, snails, and as it grows, it begins to eat small fish.

Eel is highly valued, considered a delicacy and is actively used in cooking. Firstly, it is incredibly healthy and nutritious, as it contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, vitamins and other substances. The calorie content of one hundred grams of the product is about 330 calories, which is quite a lot when compared with other varieties or even meat. Secondly, eel has an unusual rich taste. The pulp is tender, fatty and slightly sweet.

How to prepare eel?

Before you start cooking, you need to get the eel in order. For this:

1. First, wash the fish well. It will slip out of your hands, so carry out manipulations in the sink.
2. Next, remove the mucus. It is very difficult and takes a long time to wash off, but you can speed up the process by rubbing the carcass with salt, leaving it for fifteen or twenty minutes, and then washing off the residue. If the mucus is not completely gone, then rub the eel with coarse salt or even sand.
3. Now it's time to learn how to clean a blackhead. You need to remove the skin so that it doesn’t interfere with enjoyment. tender meat fish. For convenience, fix the carcass on a board (European chefs advise nailing it, but you can use a sharp knife), make an incision around the head and remove the skin, like a stocking.
4. Gut the fish by making a cut along the belly with a sharp knife and removing all excess from there.
5. Wash the fish again.

Eel dishes

How to properly cook eel? There are many different dishes based on such an ingredient, and we will consider some of them below.

Recipe one

Incredibly tasty eel can be cooked in the oven. The following ingredients will be required:

• eel carcass;
• half a glass of classic soy sauce;
• 50 ml water;
• a tablespoon of honey;
• a teaspoon of sesame seeds;
• pepper;
• salt.

Preparation:

1. First, prepare the fish: wash, remove mucus, remove skin, gut. Now cut the carcass into medium-sized portions.
2. Start preparing the marinade sauce. Mix soy sauce with water, add honey. Place the mixture on the fire and cook until thick. Add sesame seeds to the marinade, immerse the chopped eel in it and leave for half an hour to an hour.
3. Prepare foil, place marinated pieces of eel on it and wrap them.
4. Place the wrapped fish on a baking sheet or in a mold and place in an oven preheated to 190 degrees for half an hour.
5. The remaining marinade can be brought to a boil again and simmer for a minute, and then served as a sauce for fish. It will turn out very tasty.

Recipe two

You can cook tender eel creamy soup. Prepare the following ingredients:

• 500 g eel;
• 1.5 cups cream;
• liter of water;
• small onion;
• 80-90 grams of rice (any kind will do, but long grain is better);
• a teaspoon of salt (change the amount at your discretion);
• A little vegetable oil;
• pepper and other seasonings to your taste.

Instructions:

1. Take care of the eel. After cleaning and gutting it, the pulp should be cut into medium-sized cubes. Peel the onion and either chop it or cut it into thin half rings. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and eel in it. When a golden brown crust begins to form and the onion becomes soft, turn off the heat.
2. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan, add pre-washed rice and cook until tender.
3. If the rice is ready, add fried eels and onions to the soup, and also add cream.
4. Cook the soup covered for three minutes, then add seasonings and salt, after a minute remove the pan from the heat.

Recipe three

By stewing eel with tomatoes, you will get a complete and appetizing hot dish.

You will need the following ingredients:

• 1 kg eel;
• 400-500 g of ripe fleshy tomatoes;
• bulb;
• two or three cloves of garlic;
• 2/3 glass of wine (both red and white are suitable, but preferably semi-sweet);
• a pinch of aromatic seasoning, such as rosemary;
• 3-4 tbsp. l. olive oil;
• salt;
• pepper.

Process description:

1. The eel needs to be cleaned and gutted, and then cut in any way (but the pieces should not be very small).
2. Onions can be cut into half rings. Grind the tomatoes in any way, for example, in a blender or simply chop finely with a knife. Garlic can be passed through a press or grated.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry the onion for a minute, then add the eel. After three minutes, add the tomatoes. Fry everything together for just a couple of minutes so that the fish acquires a pleasant color.
4. Now pour in the wine, add salt, seasoning and pepper, cover the frying pan with a lid, and simmer the dish until cooked for about ten or fifteen minutes.

Tips to help you cook eel at home, if not perfectly, then definitely successfully:

• The mucus must be removed completely, as it can give the dish an unpleasant taste, as well as an unattractive gray tint.
• If you don't like the smell sea ​​fish, then marinate the carcass first. To do this, simply sprinkle it with fresh lemon juice and rub with salt. Aromatic seasonings such as rosemary, basil, and thyme will also help eliminate unpleasant odors. But their quantity should not be too large, otherwise they will simply drown out the natural taste of the fish.
• Since eel itself is fatty, it is best served with light side dishes, such as vegetables.
• Heat treatment should be moderate, but too long will worsen the taste and make the pulp not so tender and juicy.

If you have never tried eel dishes, be sure to cook one of them. You will definitely like it!

In all centuries, people have been reverent about fish. In each country, culinary masters have developed their own unique dishes from this useful product. Many regions of the world have a special attitude towards eel delicacies. This is a rather rare guest in our rivers, so its cost is sometimes prohibitive. But in terms of taste and healing properties, it can compete with many marine inhabitants. The serpentine eel fish is a predatory species and constantly migrates from freshwater rivers to the seas.

Description

Uninformed people often confuse it with a snake, since in appearance it is very similar to it. The eel's body is elongated, its head is small, and its skin is slippery. When you see a predator, you might think that its body is completely naked, but this is an illusion. After clearing it of abundant mucus, you can notice the smallest scales.

The color range varies from dark green to bluish-black. The abdomen is either light white or bluish. Eel fish can grow up to two meters in length. To lay eggs, it swims to the depths of the sea; after spawning, the individual dies immediately. The female can lay up to 500 thousand eggs.

Predatory fish eel: where is it found, its variety?

The first mention of this species appeared more than a hundred million years ago. At first, the habitat was recorded off the coast of Indonesia. Adults move frequently. For what reason this happens is not yet clear. But it is known for sure that eels like the clay bottom, in which they find food (crustaceans, worms, snails).

Young fish first live in a fresh ground river, densely populated with vegetation. By burying themselves in the mud, they protect themselves from various predators. Adult eels can be seen in reeds, under large stones and sedge thickets. These inhabitants prefer to get food for themselves at night, and for their own safety they change color.

Fish is usually divided into river and sea fish, although such a classification is not entirely appropriate, since individuals constantly move from freshwater to salt water.

The river eel has a brown-green tint. Fish with a small amount of scales lives in the Azov, Black, White, Barents and Baltic seas. These predators are quite tenacious and are able to exist even without water and overcome considerable distances on wet grass. Don't be surprised if you come across "creeping" specimens in some body of water. Such fish will be distinguished by its fat content and high nutritional value.

The conger eel is awarded a monochromatic black body. The fish is also practically without scales. Thanks to its inconspicuous color, it can easily disguise itself as dirt. Habitat: North Atlantic basins. Both predators feed on small fish, crayfish and larvae. Until now, experts cannot fully study the life of these subspecies due to their secrecy. They rarely appear on the surface of the water and are increasingly found at great depths. This makes it difficult to observe and study.

Benefit

The fish is especially popular in Japan. In this country, they believe that the meat of these creatures is an excellent tonic and improves performance. Healthy fish oil from eel prevents heart pathologies. The pulp contains many proteins, polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids, which help rejuvenate cells and get rid of nervous diseases.

IN dietary nutrition The conger eel is more prized. Fish, beneficial features the meat of which is difficult to overestimate, very nutritious. It contains potassium and iodine. And, as you know, these minerals help strengthen the heart muscle and protect our thyroid gland. Conger eel meat is low in calories, which is very important for dietary nutrition.

It contains a wide range of valuable vitamins (A, B, E, D) and protein. Regular consumption of this delicacy in any variation strengthens the immune system and has a beneficial effect on the entire body as a whole. Dishes made from it are indicated for gout, rheumatism, malaise, depression, central nervous system disease, and atherosclerosis. Looking at the Japanese, who periodically eat fish and are distinguished by good health and high performance, you can be convinced of healing properties meat of this predator.

Use in cooking

Eel fish is an expensive delicacy and is served in the best restaurants in the world. And this is not surprising, because the meat of this subspecies is very tender, soft and extremely healthy. And the pulp of the river inhabitant is characterized by high fat content. The carcass is stewed, smoked, fried, baked and boiled - in any interpretation it turns out incomparable.

Spicy and unforgettable taste qualities are revealed when preparing first courses. Those who have tried fish soup or eel soup say that the dish outshines the taste of any other. Each country has its own original recipes. For example, in Lithuania it is customary to serve smoked eel with beer. Italy is famous for its grilled fish with green salad.

No matter how colorful the information is presented, the taste and aroma of eel cannot be described. Try to prepare the delicacy yourself, just be extremely careful when cutting it. Eel blood is toxic, and if it gets on the wound, an inflammatory process can begin.

How to cook eel fish: recipes

Cold appetizer in the form of salad. To prepare it you will need smoked fish eel (three hundred grams), potatoes (3 pcs.), bell pepper, three eggs, parsley, green onions, balsamic vinegar (dessert spoon), the same amount of olive oil and spices to taste.

Cooking process

Boil eggs and potatoes, chop into small cubes or cut into thin slices. Pepper - into strips. Fish fillet - pieces. Place green leaves on the bottom of a flat plate, on top - potatoes, eggs, pepper, eel, chopped parsley - sprinkle with vinegar and oil.

Exotic soup

Ingredients: eel carcass (600 grams), one carrot, frozen peas (half a cup), leek and celery. You will also need two liters of pre-boiled chicken broth, one hundred grams of any dried fruits and fresh pear. You can’t do without a spoon of wine vinegar, black pepper, garlic salt and granulated sugar (five grams).

Cooking method

Pour boiled water over dried fruits (raisins, dried apricots, prunes). Place grated carrots, sliced ​​celery and leeks into the hot broth. Let it boil a little and add the swollen fruit. Let the liquid simmer for 7 minutes, and then add the eel, cut into portions, along with sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. While the soup is preparing, let's take care of the pear - cut it into thin slices and sauté in butter. Place the remaining ingredients into the broth: peas, chopped parsley. Pour into portions and garnish with a piece of fried pear.

Japanese food

We all know that the Japanese are considered long-livers. Various foods help with this, including fish. These people are really very well versed in fish and can prepare real culinary masterpieces from it. At the same time, they try to subject seafood to minimal heat treatment. Eel is one of the most popular foods in Japan. Most often it is used to make rolls. Therefore, we will tell you how to prepare such delicious rolls at home. All products can be easily found in the supermarket.

Unagi (sugrem rolls)

To prepare these rolls you will need the following products: 150 sushi gris, 3 sheets of nori, smoked eel, a tablespoon of sesame seeds, a tablespoon of soy sauce, green onions, wasabi and pickled ginger.

With wet hands, place the rice on the sheets of noria. It should take up approximately 2/3 of the space. Place green onions and eel in strips in the middle of the sheet. Using a special galvanizing tool, roll the rolls and cut them into 6-8 pieces. Before serving, pour soy sauce over each roll and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve the rolls with ginger and wasabi.

European cuisine

The recipe for eel pie is very popular in European cuisine. We will tell you how to prepare it.

Take a couple of medium sized eels and skin them, remembering to remove the fins. Then cut the fish into pieces and place them in a pan with melted butter (30 g). Add shallots, mushrooms, spices, parsley, a glass of sherry to the fish. nutmeg and a little water. Put the fire on high and let it boil. After boiling, remove the fish and transfer it to the prepared baking dish. puff pastry. Add another 30 grams to the liquid that remains in the pan. butter the same amount of flour. This will make your sauce. The sauce must be boiled until thickened over low heat and at the end add a little lemon juice. Pour the prepared sauce over the fish, grate the yolks of boiled eggs on top and cover with puff pastry. To make the crust golden brown, brush the top of the pie with egg yolk. Bake the pie at 180 degrees for an hour. The dish can be served either cold or hot.

Smoked eel salad

To prepare this dish you will need: 300 g of smoked eel, 2 fresh cucumbers, one bell red pepper, lettuce, sesame seeds, juice, olive oil, spices to taste.

The salad is prepared very quickly and simply. Cut the eel, bell pepper and cucumbers into strips. Carefully tear the lettuce leaves into small pieces. Mix all ingredients thoroughly, add salt, pepper and lemon juice to the salad. Before serving, season with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bon appetit!

Eel in white wine

To prepare this dish you will need the following ingredients: a kilogram of eel, a kilogram of onions, olive oil, 2 glasses of white wine, garlic (3 cloves), melted butter, flour and spices to taste.

Clean the eel from skin, entrails and bones, cut it into pieces. Fry whole onions in a frying pan and then add the fish. Season with salt, pepper and add white wine. As soon as the wine starts to boil, throw garlic (grated or finely chopped) into the fish. Cook everything for half an hour. Five minutes before cooking, add a spoonful of flour to the fish. Eel in white wine is ready. Before serving, the fish can be decorated with sliced ​​eggs.

Russian kitchen

Eel is not only a favorite delicacy abroad. Here in Russia they love him too. This means that some people have learned to cook dishes well from it. The most famous dish- ear. Therefore, this is what we will prepare.

Take an eel weighing one and a half kilograms and peel its skin. Some people do not remove the skin from the fish, but first clean it well (with salt). After this, gut it well from the inside and wipe it thoroughly with a clean napkin. Next, pour water into a saucepan and add 2 celery and parsley roots, allspice, 2 cups fresh green peas, 2 medium-sized onions. When the broth boils, throw in the fish and cook for at least 45 minutes. Undercooked eel is very harmful. Before removing from the heat, toss in some parsley and a bay leaf. The soup is ready. Bon appetit.

Fried eel

You need to keep in mind that eel is an oily fish. Therefore, you can’t eat a lot of it at once and you definitely need to serve it with a side dish. Therefore, prepare in advance mashed potatoes or porridge with fried eel.

You will need a 1 kg eel. Cut it in half lengthwise, gut all the insides well and remove the seeds. Then prepare the fish sauce. To prepare it you will need soy sauce, soy paste, ginger and garlic. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and place on fire. Bring the sauce to a boil. When it is ready, grease the imugr and start frying the fish. The fish should be fried over high heat until it turns dark brown. Before serving, decorate the dish with herbs.

Eel with horseradish

To prepare this dish you will need: half a kilogram of eel, 100 ghren, one tablespoon of flour, 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, vinegar and salt.

Grease a saucepan with oil and place the pre-grated horseradish there. Clean the fish from entrails, skin and bones, cut into medium pieces and place on top of the horseradish. You can lay out the fish in rows, but each row must be sprinkled with horseradish. Add salt, vinegar and water to the eel and simmer until half cooked. Then drain some of the broth from the fish and add butter and flour to it. Boil the sauce. 15 minutes before cooking the eel, add the sauce. When serving, garnish with parsley or lettuce sprigs. Bon appetit!

List variety of dishes from eel you can continue for a long time. It can be used in recipes instead of any fish. It's filling and delicious. But remember that eel is very fatty. Therefore, it is better to eat it with a side dish. If you prepare a salad with it, then such a salad can replace the main dish. Another important point that should be taken into account when preparing dishes from this fish: eel blood is poisonous. Therefore, avoid getting it on your hands. For this product to be absolutely safe, eel should be boiled, fried or stewed for at least 45 minutes. Don't forget about it! We wish that all your eel dishes turn out tasty and beautiful.

The status and intriguing eel fish is considered one of the most expensive seafood in the world. Fatty and dense, with a hint of sweetness, similar in flavor to salmon and catfish, it is highly nutritious and has a thick, tough skin that protects the meat from drying out, making it easier to cook on the grill, in the pan, in the oven, and in the pan.

What kind of fish is an eel?

With an elongated, wriggling, serpentine body, the eel fish is a fish without pelvic and pectoral fins, the weight of which can reach up to 25 kg and a length of up to 4 m. There are two types of eels: sea eel - “anago” and freshwater - “ unagi." They have a similar taste, but sea eels have thicker skin, so they are cheaper than their freshwater counterparts.

1. Tender, juicy meat, a pleasant sweetish taste, similar to salmon and squid, are not the only things that eel fish has. Eel meat contains an enormous amount of phosphorus. It balances the pH level in the body, speeds up metabolism, and removes toxins.
2. Eel meat is perfectly soaked and retains the taste of sauces and seasonings for a long time. It is for this reason that it is popular in many cuisines around the world.

Eel fish - how to cook?

Unknown to many, the eel, like any fish, tolerates any heat treatment This explains that eel fish, the preparation recipes for which are not technically complicated, include frying, stewing, smoking, and boiling. You can learn from the Japanese. For them, eel is not just food, but a panacea for everything.

1. Often, fish is prepared in kabayaki style. Fillet, whole fish or skewers are breaded and fried on a grill or frying pan, pouring a sauce of soy sauce, sake, sugar and mirin over the meat.
2. The Shirayaki style is similar to Kabayaki. The only difference is the absence of sauce when frying. The fish is simply seasoned with salt. This allows you to enjoy the authentic taste of eel.

Fried eel

Frying is one of the most popular methods, which is used by everyone who does not know how to cook eel fish other than in a frying pan. The washed fish is dried, cut into pieces with bones, breaded in flour and fried in oil for 10 minutes. Season after excess oil has been removed. Uneaten pieces are stored in wine vinegar in a refrigerator.

Ingredients:

• eel – 1.2 kg;
• wheat flour – 200 g;
• corn flour – 100 g.

Preparation

1. Without peeling the skin, cut the eel into pieces. Rinse and dry.
2. Roll in flour and fry for 10 minutes.
3. After which, the fried eel fish is laid out on a paper towel and sprinkled with salt.

Baked eel

Using the kabayaki technique, oven-baked eel turns into a true Japanese favorite. Cooking takes place at high temperature. Rub the fillet with oil and bake for 7 minutes. at 290°C. Spread with sweet soy sauce and keep in the oven for another 1 minute. As the eel caramelizes, it acquires sweet flavors and aromas and a glossy surface.

Ingredients:

• eel fillet – 2 pcs.;
• soy sauce – 120 ml;
• mirin – 80 ml;
• sugar – 100 g;
• sake – 40 ml.

Preparation

1. Cut the fillet into four pieces. Grease with oil and bake for 7 minutes. at 290°C.
2. Mix the sauce ingredients and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Brush the fish with sauce and bake for 60 seconds.

Braised eel

A simple process for preparing eel fish is stewing. This is a fatty fish that pork belly, best reveals its texture, taste, and melts in the mouth if quickly fried in hot oil at high temperature, and then simmered over low heat in sweet and sour sauce for 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

• eel fillet – 900 g;
• dark soy sauce – 40 ml;
• soy sauce – 40 ml;
• rice wine – 30 ml;
• sugar – 35 g;
• vinegar – 30 ml;
• water – 125 ml;
• ginger – 3 cm;
• onions – 2 pcs.;
• oil – 80 ml.

Preparation

1. Cut the fillet pieces from the skin side.
2. Place skin side down in hot oil and, holding with a spatula, fry for 2 minutes. Turn over and simmer for 1 minute, remove.
3. Add everything except the vinegar to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add eel pieces and vinegar.
5. After which, the fish stewed eel simmers for 10 minutes.

Smoked eel

As a rule, eel fish for sushi, declared smoked by restaurants, is fried eel using the kabayake technique. It is inferior in taste to home-smoked eel, which is hot-smoked. Before this, it is salted for 24 hours, washed and dried in the refrigerator to form a sticky film, which helps the smoke stick better.

Ingredients:

• two eels – 1 kg each;
• salt – 100 g.

Preparation

1. Wash the gutted eels, dry and rub with salt, at the rate of 50 g of salt per 1 kg.
2. Refrigerate 24 hours.
3. Rinse, pat dry and cool on a wire rack for 12 hours.
4. Using oak chips, preheat smoker to 90°C.
5. In a horizontal position, place the eels on your stomach; in a vertical position, hang them upside down.
6. Check readiness after 60 minutes.

Eel on the grill

There are two countries where the topic of how to grill eel has been perfected to the smallest detail. Japan with kabayaki and Italy with Anguilla allo spiedo. IN Italian cuisine To protect the meat from drying out, the eel is not skinned. The fish is cut into pieces, put on a skewer, alternating with laurel, sprinkled with lemon juice and fried on a grill over coals for 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

• eel – 1.5 kg;
• lemon – 2 pcs.;
• laurel leaves – 10 pcs.;
• oil – 60 ml;
• pepper – 1/2 teaspoon.

Preparation

1. Whisk the juice of one lemon with a pinch of salt and pepper.
2. Brush the eel pieces with oil and place on skewers, alternating with bay leaves.
3. Pour over the sauce and place on the grill.
4. Fry, turning, 15 minutes.

Dishes with eel

Possessing high nutritional properties and good compatibility, eel fish, the preparation of which includes all heat treatment methods, becomes interesting for various dishes. Fresh fish is used to make soups, stew or bake in green herbal or red sauces with tomatoes. Smoked is used in salads, sushi, pizzas and dough rolls.

1. When it comes to the topic: how to cook eel fish, it is better to be guided by universal rules that work with any type of fish. Stew or bake eel for no more than 15 minutes. The oven temperature should not exceed 200°C.
2. When stewing and baking, it is better to use soft, herbaceous sauces with a small amount of acidity. For salads, on the contrary, dressings with a rich amount of acid are more suitable, which will highlight the taste of smoked eel.

Eel soup

One of the most complex dishes, demonstrating how to cook eel fish and achieve perfection - Vietnamese soup. Made from two types of broth: meat and fish, from eel bones, it has sweetness and richness. The soup is bursting with textures and flavors, with grilled and poached eel meat, crispy onions, hearty noodles and lots of greens.

Ingredients:

• pork on the bone – 1 kg;
• water – 3 l;
• vinegar – 40 ml;
• eel – 450 g;
• shallots – 5 pcs.;
• glass noodles – 400 g;
• ginger – 2 cm;
• grated ginger – 5 g;
• turmeric – 5 g;
• corn starch – 100 g;
• mint, green onions – 10 g each;
• chili – 1/2 pcs.

Preparation

1. Boil pork in water and vinegar for 5 minutes.
2. Drain, rinse, place in 3 liters of water, season and cook for 2 hours.
3. After 60 min. Grill one onion and ginger and add to the broth.
4. Boil the eel in 1 liter of water for 5 minutes. Remove the meat from the bones, crush the bones in a mortar, return to water and cook for 15 minutes, strain.
5. Season one part of the eel with starch and fry. The second, season with turmeric and ginger.
6. Fry the onion, soak the noodles for 10 minutes.
7. Mix two broths. Blanch the noodles in the broth and place in a bowl with eel, herbs, chili pepper, and fried onions.

Salad with eel

Like many oily fish, the eel acquires rich flavors and aromas when smoked. They are skillfully used not only when preparing sushi, but also in such a spectacular dish as eel salad. In this version, the buttery, skinless fillet pairs beautifully with the freshness of the greens, the acidity of the dressing and the crunch of the fried bacon.

Ingredients:

• smoked eel without skin – 600 g;
• bacon slices – 8 pcs.;
• boiled eggs – 2 pcs.;
• watercress salad – 150 g;
• oil – 40 ml;
• capers – 10 g;
• lemon juice – 20 ml;
• Dijon mustard – 5 g.

Preparation

1. Fry the bacon in a dry frying pan.
2. Whisk the last 4 ingredients.
3. Connect all the components together.

Roll with eel

Many people know that eel is a fish for rolls, and this is the most popular use of the product. Often, eel is used in cooking uramaki - inside out rolls. Pieces of fried eel are placed on top of the rice and covered with sauce. The roll is filled with avocado and salmon. As a result, it develops creamy textures and sweet and salty flavors.

Ingredients:

• seasoned rice – 450 g;
• nori package – 1 pc.;
• salmon – 250 g;
• fried eel – 370 g;
• masago – 40 g;
• avocado – 1 pc.;
• sesame – 20 g;
• eel sauce – 80 ml.

Preparation

1. Place nori on film and spread rice on top.
2. Turn rice onto film, fill with avocado, salmon, caviar. Roll it up and remove the film.
3. Cut the eel into pieces and heat in the oven.
4. Place on top of the roll and press with film. Cut the roll into pieces, remove the film, brush the eel with sauce.

Eel in sauce

The Japanese aren't the only ones who know how to cook fish in sauce. Eel has long been a staple food in Belgium. Braised eel in green sauce is still served in all fine Belgian restaurants. The eel is cut into pieces and stewed with mint, dill, spinach in white wine. Then the sauce is pureed, the fish is heated in it and served.

Ingredients:

• eel – 500 g;
• butter – 20 g;
• flour – 30 g;
• onion – 70 g;
• spinach – 500 g;
• sprigs of mint and sage - 2 pcs.;
• parsley – 60 g;
• dry white wine – 200 ml;
• dill and tarragon - 15 g each.

Preparation

1. Simmer the eel pieces, herbs and onions in oil for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with flour, add wine and stir.
2. Simmer for 15 minutes. over low heat.
3. Remove the eel, puree the sauce in a blender and pass through a sieve.
4. Return the fish to the pan along with the sauce, heat through, season with 20 ml of lemon juice and a pinch of salt.

Pizza with eel

The variations on the theme of how to bake fish are endless. Some of them are daring and unusual, but at the same time they show how wide the culinary world is. This is exactly what pizza is, combining tortilla, mozzarella, unagi sauce and fried eel. The experiment turned out to be successful: the pizza is tasty, aromatic, low in calories and quick to prepare.

Ingredients:

• tortilla sheet – 1 pc.;
• grilled eel – 200 g;
• unagi sauce – 40 ml;
• mozzarella cheese – 60 g;
• green onions – 10 g.

Preparation

1. Place grated cheese on tortilla and pour sauce over it.
2. Arrange the eel pieces and bake for 3 minutes. at 250°C.
3. Sprinkle with onion and ground pepper.

Eel sauce

The Japanese, hundreds of years ago, found the answer to the question, what sauce will do for eel, the whole world has long been accustomed to the sweet unagi sauce made from soy sauce, sugar, sake and mirin wine. However, there are other options that can add spicy, salty and sweet notes to eel: hoisin sauce and miso paste-based all-purpose sauce.

1. To prepare miso paste sauce, you need to mix 300 g of paste with 240 ml of mirin, 120 ml of sake and 30 g of sugar and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. The main advantage of the sauces is that they can be stored refrigerated for 60 days.