Ingredients
Eel
Other Names: American eel: Amerikanischer aal (German); anguilla americana (Italian); anguille d’Amérique (French). European eel: Aal, flussaal (German); anguila (Spanish); anguilla, ragano (Italian); anguille (French); enguia (Portuguese); ferskvandsaal (Danish); héli (Greek); unagi (Japanese); yilan bilagi (Turkish). Young eel: Angula (Spanish); civelle, piballe (French); cieche (Italian); elver; glass eel; txitxardin (Basque). Conger eel: Congre (French); congrio (Spanish); grongo (Italian). Anguilidae (freshwater eel). Congridae (conger eel). Muraenidae (moray eel).
General Description: There are more than 20 members of the freshwater eel family, all long, slim, snakelike fish with smooth, slippery skin, microscopic scales, and spineless fins. The American eel (Anguilla rostrata_) and its close cousin the European eel (_A. anguilla) live part of their life in freshwater and part in saltwater; most are caught at their freshwater stage. In America, adult eels are known as yellows, silvers, or bronzes depending on the stage of maturity. Eels date from early prehistoric times; it is said that the Gulf Stream they follow on their migrations once circled Atlantis.
In Spain, some eels are taken to freshwater nurseries (viveros), where their spines darken, producing the choice angulas de lomo negro (black-backed eels). Baby eels, first popularized in Spain by the Basques, are a great delicacy there and in Italy. Elvers are cooked whole. Spanish restaurants provide special wooden forks to avoid any metallic taste and to get a better grip on the smooth-skinned eels. Mature eel is good simmered in stew and goes well with acidic flavors to cut its richness. It is not served raw.
The conger eel (Conger conger_) is a large sea eel popular in Europe. This scary-looking creature with a pointed head and sharp teeth is found in temperate and tropical areas. It can grow to almost 10 feet long, though 2 to 5 feet is average. In Europe, conger goes into soups and stews, especially bouillabaisse. Although edible, moray eels (_Muraena helena) have bony and rather coarse flesh.
Locale and Season: Wild eels are caught off eastern Canada, the American eastern seaboard, and Greenland. Farm-raised eels come from China, Japan, and Taiwan. The American eel fishery supplies Asian and European aquafarms
with baby eels to raise to adulthood; there is a separate
fishery for adult eels. In Europe, live baby eels are caught in the spring and served in restaurants from late October through February. Adult eels are found from September to November. Conger is in season from early spring to autumn.
Characteristics: Eel meat is quite firm with a high fat content and full-bodied, distinctive flavor. The raw flesh is gray but turns lighter when cooked, and it has a small, fine flake. The skin is not eaten. The flavor of elvers is so subtle
that it can easily be lost; they must be cooked briefly.
Yield is 60 percent skinless fillets from whole eel.
How to Choose: There may be more than 1,000 elvers in 1 pound. Adult eels are at their plumpest and best in autumn,
when they have turned silver with almost black backs. Females weigh three times as much as males. Eels harvested
from stagnant water or held too long in tanks can have a muddy flavor. Look for live eel tanks in Asian markets. Eel is best bought while still alive, or the flesh can be soft and mushy. Conger is usually sold cut into chunks or steaks. Ask for a middle cut; the tail end is quite bony.
Storage: Eels can survive several days out of water if kept in a damp environment.
Preparation:
Ask the fishmonger to skin and cut eels into shorter
lengths.
Roast, poach, braise, or hot-smoke.
Suggested Recipe: Angulas à la Bilbaina (serves 4): Heat 1 cup olive oil with 6 cloves sliced garlic and a piece of dried red
chile pepper in a cazuela (shallow earthenware casserole) until the garlic turns golden. Plunge 1 pound washed and well-drained baby eels directly into the oil, stirring with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper, remove the dish from the heat, cover with a plate, and bring sizzling to the table.
Flavor Affinities: Cilantro, garlic, chiles, lemon, lime, olive oil, parsley, pepper, sage, salt, sesame, shallot, soy sauce, truffle, white wine.
from Quirk Books: www.quirkbooks.com
