Eels en Matelote is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of skinned eel pieces that are cooked in a sauce of onion, mushrooms, port wine, bayleaf and meat stock. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Eels en Matelote.
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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
256. INGREDIENTS.—5 or 6 young onions, a few mushrooms, when obtainable; salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste; 1 laurel-leaf, 1/2 pint of port wine, 1/2 pint of medium stock, No. 105; butter and flour to thicken; 2 lbs. of eels.
Mode.—Rub the stewpan with butter, dredge in a little flour, add the onions cut very small, slightly brown them, and put in all the other ingredients. Wash, and cut up the eels into pieces 3 inches long; put them in the stewpan, and simmer for 1/2 hour. Make round the dish, a border of croutons, or pieces of toasted bread; arrange the eels in a pyramid in the centre, and pour over the sauce. Serve very hot.
Time.—3/4 hour. Average cost, 1s. 9d. for this quantity.
Seasonable from August to March. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp plain flour
6 small onions, very finely chopped
4 mushrooms, sliced
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
freshly-grated nutmeg, to taste
1 bayleaf
300ml port wine
300ml medium stock
1kg eels
Method:
Melt the butter in a pan, scatter over the flour then add the onions and fry, stirring continually, for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Now add the mushrooms, bayleaf, port wine and stock. Season to taste with the salt, black pepper and nutmeg then bring to a simmer.
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 8cm long then add to the pan. Return the mixture to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.When tender, toast some bread and cut into rounds. Arrange the bread rounds around your serving dish, mound the eel pieces in the centre then pour over the sauce.
