Stewed Eels II is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of eels stewed in meat stock with port wine, anchovy essence and lemon juice. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Stewed Eels II.
(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
251. INGREDIENTS.—2 lbs. of middling-sized eels, 1 pint of medium stock, No. 105, 1/4 pint of port wine; salt, cayenne, and mace to taste; 1 teaspoonful of essence of anchovy, the juice of 1/2 a lemon.
Mode.—Skin, wash, and clean the eels thoroughly; cut them into pieces 3 inches long, and put them into strong salt and water for 1 hour; dry them well with a cloth, and fry them brown. Put the stock on with the heads and tails of the eels, and simmer for 1/2 hour; strain it, and add all the other ingredients. Put in the eels, and stew gently for 1/2 hour, when serve.
Time.—2 hours. Average cost, 1s. 9d.
Seasonable from June to March.
Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1.8kg middling-sized eels
3 tbsp butter
600ml medium stock
150ml port wine
salt, cayenne pepper and ground mace, to taste
1 tsp anchovy essence
juice of 1/2 a lemon
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 place in a strong brine solution and allow to marinate for 60 minutes. Dry thoroughly on kitchen paper then melt the butter in a pan, add the eel pieces and fry until well browned.
In the meantime, combine the eel trimmings and the stock in a pan. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 30 minutes. Strain then add to a large pan along with the fried eels, port wine, anchovy essence and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt, cayenne pepper and ground make then bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes, or until tender.
