Stewed Eels is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of prepared eels that are boiled in salted water with vinegar, which are breaded, fried and served with tartar sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Eels à la Tartare.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Eels à la Tartare that's derived from the chef, Charles Elmé Francatelli's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
No. 270.—EELS A LA TARTARE.
Skin, draw, and cut the eels into pieces an inch long ; half cook them by gently and partially boiling them in water with a little salt and vinegar; and when drained and cold, breadcrumb and fry them ; dish up the pieces of eel upon some Tartar sauce, No. 38, already poured in the centre of the dish for that purpose.
To skin and gut an eel, hold it down by the head on a solid work surface with a towel (an eel is very slippery). With a sharp knife, make an incision around the neck, just below the head. The thick filmy skin will separate. Grip the skin with a pair of pliers, and pull it down the length of the eel to the tail and cut it off. Make a slit down the length of the stomach and pull out the innards. Rinse the eel well under cold running water then cut into 3cm lengths.
Bring a pan of lightly-salted water to a boil, add the vinegar, return to a boil then add the eel pieces and cook for about 10 minutes, or until almost completely cooked.
Drain the eel pieces and pat dry then dip in the beaten egg before coating with breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a pan, add the eel pieces and fry until golden brown all over and cooked through.
Pour a little tartar sauce on a plate, sit the eel pieces on top and serve.
