Stewed Eels I is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of eels stewed in strong beef stock with port wine or madeira and spices which is then thickened as a sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Stewed Eels I.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
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
250. INGREDIENTS.—2 lbs. of eels, 1 pint of rich strong stock, No. 104, 1 onion, 3 cloves, a piece of lemon-peel, 1 glass of port or Madeira, 3 tablespoonfuls of cream; thickening of flour; cayenne and lemon-juice to taste.
Mode.—Wash and skin the eels, and cut them into pieces about 3 inches long; pepper and salt them, and lay them in a stewpan; pour over the stock, add the onion stuck with cloves, the lemon-peel, and the wine. Stew gently for 1/2 hour, or rather more, and lift them carefully on a dish, which keep hot. Strain the gravy, stir to the cream sufficient flour to thicken; mix altogether, boil for 2 minutes, and add the cayenne and lemon-juice; pour over the eels and serve.
Time.—3/4 hour. Average cost for this quantity, 2s. 3d.
Seasonable from June to March.
Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1kg eels
600ml rich strong stock
1 onion, peeled
3 cloves
2 strips of lemon zest
200ml port wine or Madeira
3 tbsp cream
plain flour, to thicken
cayenne pepper and lemon juice, to taste
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
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 then season with salt and black pepper. Arrange in the base of a stockpot then pour over the meat stock. Stick the cloves in the onion and add this to the pan along with the lemon zest and the wine. Bring to a simmer, cover and stew gently for about 30 minutes, or until the eels are very tender.
Lift out the eel pieces and and arrange on a serving dish — set this aside to keep warm. Strain the stock into a clean pan then stir in the cream before whisking in just enough flour to thicken. Mix well then bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Season with the cayenne pepper and lemon juice then pour over the eels and serve.
