Stewed Eels

Ingredients

• 2 whole eels Eels (To be skinned, cleaned, parboiled, and cut into 2-inch fillets)
• 2 ounces (approximately 55 g) Butter
• 1.5 ounces (approximately 40 g) Flour
• 0.5 pint (approximately 285 ml) Claret (A dry red wine such as Bordeaux can be used as a substitute)
• 0.5 pint (approximately 285 ml) Stock (Fish or chicken stock both work well)
• 1 clove Garlic (Leave whole)
• 1 whole onion Onion (Can be left whole or halved)
• 6 whole cloves Cloves
• 1 small bag (bouquet garni) Sweet herbs (Tie a mix of fresh herbs such as thyme, bay leaf, and parsley in a small piece of muslin cloth or use a tea strainer)
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 teaspoon Spiced pepper (A historically used aromatic pepper blend; use mixed or black pepper if unavailable)
• 1 lime (rind only, pared in strips) Lime rind (Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest, avoiding the white pith)
• 1 tablespoon Chopped parsley (Fresh flat-leaf or curly parsley, finely chopped)

Instructions

1. 1Skin and clean the eels thoroughly. To parboil them, place them in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and let them boil for about 5 minutes. Drain and allow them to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, cut the eels into 2-inch (5 cm) fillets and set aside. Beginner tip: Ask your fishmonger to skin and clean the eels for you if you prefer.
2. 2Place your stew-pan or heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the two ounces of butter and let it melt completely. Once melted, add the one and a half ounces of flour all at once. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon, making sure the butter and flour combine into a smooth paste (called a roux). Stir constantly over the heat for five minutes. The mixture should look slightly golden and smell nutty. Do not let it burn — lower the heat if needed.
3. 3Carefully pour in the half pint of claret and the half pint of stock into the roux, stirring constantly as you pour to prevent lumps from forming. Add the whole garlic clove, the whole onion, the six whole cloves, and the bag of sweet herbs. Stir everything together well. Beginner tip: Pour the liquids in gradually at first, stirring briskly, and then add the rest once the mixture is smooth.
4. 4Increase the heat to bring the sauce to a boil. Once boiling, let it boil for ten minutes, stirring frequently with your wooden spoon to prevent sticking. The sauce will begin to thicken and deepen in colour and flavour. Keep the heat at a steady boil but watch it closely.
5. 5Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Add a pinch of salt, one teaspoon of spiced pepper, and the rind of a lime (pared in wide strips). Gently lower the pieces of eel into the sauce, nestling them in so they are surrounded by the liquid. Be careful not to break the fillets.
6. 6Keep the pan at a gentle simmer — small bubbles should just break the surface. Allow the eels to simmer in the sauce for a full half an hour (30 minutes). Do not let the liquid boil vigorously during this stage as it could break up the delicate fish. The eel is done when it feels tender when gently pressed with a spoon.
7. 7Using a slotted spoon or tongs, carefully lift the eel pieces out of the sauce and arrange them on a warmed serving dish. Keep the dish somewhere warm — such as in a low oven at around 80°C (175°F) — while you finish the sauce. Leave the sauce in the pan.
8. 8Working quickly, pour the sauce through a fine mesh sieve or strainer into a clean saucepan, discarding the garlic, onion, cloves, sweet herb bag, and lime rind. Return the strained sauce to the heat and bring it almost — but not quite — to a boil. The sauce should be thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. If it seems too thin, let it bubble for a minute or two to reduce slightly. Stir in the tablespoon of chopped parsley.
9. 9Pour the finished parsley sauce around — not over — the pieces of eel on the serving dish, so they remain visible. Serve immediately while hot.