Fried Eels is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of skinned eel pieces that are floured and breaded before being fried in lard until golden and served dressed with parsley. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Fried Eels.
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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
252. INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of eels, 1 egg, a few bread crumbs, hot lard. Mode.—Wash the eels, cut them into pieces 3 inches long, trim and wipe them very dry; dredge with flour, rub them over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs; fry of a nice brown in hot lard. If the eels are small, curl them round, instead of cutting them up. Garnish with fried parsley.
Time.—20 minutes, or rather less. Average cost, 6d. per lb.
Seasonable from June to March.
Note.—Garfish may be dressed like eels, and either broiled or baked.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
450g eels
100g flour, for dusting
1 egg
100g breadcrumbs
60g lard, hot parsley, to garnish
Method:
Begin by preparing 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 about 8cm long and wipe completely dry. Dredge with flour then rub all over with the egg then coat evenly with the breadcrumbs. Melt the lard in a large pan, add the breaded eel pieces and fry for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through and well browned.
Transfer to a decorative plate, garnish with parsley and serve.
