Eels à la Tartare is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of skinned eel pieces that are simmered in butter, vegetables and sherry before being breaded, fried and served with the 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 traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
255. INGREDIENTS.—2 lbs. of eels, 1 carrot, 1 onion, a little flour, 1 glass of sherry; salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste; bread crumbs, 1 egg, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar.
Mode.—Rub the butter on the bottom of the stewpan; cut up the carrot and onion, and stir them over the fire for 5 minutes; dredge in a little flour, add the wine and seasoning, and boil for 1/2 an hour. Skin and wash the eels, cut them into pieces, put them to the other ingredients, and simmer till tender. When they are done, take them out, let them get cold, cover them with egg and bread crumbs, and fry them of a nice brown. Put them on a dish, pour sauce piquante over, and serve them hot.
Time.—1-1/2 hour. Average cost, 1s. 8d., exclusive of the sauce piquante.
Seasonable from August to March. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
900g eels
4 tbsp butter
1 carrot, scraped and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
200ml dry sherry
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
freshly-grated nutmeg, to taste
200g breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 tbsp vinegar
Method:
Melt the butter in the base of a large pan, add the carrot and onion and stir over gentle heat for about 5 minutes. Scatter over the flour and stir to combine then stir in the sherry and season to taste with salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Stir until smooth, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Now prepare the eels. To skin and gut, 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.
Cut the eels into pieces, add to the pan then cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until tender. When done, remove the eel pieces and set aside to cool. Beat the egg in a bowl, add the eel pieces to coat then dip in the breadcrumbs until completely covered.
Melt a little butter in a pan, add the eel pieces and fry until golden brown. Place in a dish then pour the sauce over the top and serve immediately.
