granny's signature dish - river eel with green herbs

[Hades]

After all the nice time I've already spent in this community, and the help and support I already got, I thought it's about time I did something back.
Here's a recipe my granny learnt from her grandmother (that means it dates back to atleast the late 1800's!) and I still love it. Back in those days, preparing good green river eel (paling in't groen) was one of the house wife's prime duties. (Back in those days, river eel was plentiful in europe's rivers and creeks and was an important source of additional income and protein for poor farmers.)


Green Eel

ingredients:
* 3 lbs very fresh river eel
* 3 shallots
* 1 stalk of lemon balm
* a few leaves of sage
* 1 tbspoon of finely chopped parsley
* 1/2 tbspoon of finely chopped tarragon
* 1 tbspoon of finely chopped chervil
* 1 tbspoon of white deadnettle (or plain nettle parboiled)
* 1/2 lbs of sorrel
* 1/2 lbs of spinach
* 1 cup of white wine
* butter

Preparation:
Cut the eels in 3-4" pieces.
Slice the shallots and glace them in a few tbspoons of butter.
Rub the pieces of eel with p&s and sauté them with the shallots.
Add the wine and allow to warm up under a lid -without boiling!- for some 10 mins.
Add the herbs and vegs (keep some sorrel separated for presentation) and allow to infuse for another 10 mins. Again no boiling!
Remove the eels from the pan and keep them warm.
Bring the liquid to a rolling boil and reduce some. season with some additional p&s to taste.
Blend the sauce, re-heat and mount with a few cubes of cold butter.
Away from the fire, return the eels to the sauce and sprinkle with the chopped sorrel you kept seperate.


Bon appetit!


Edit: the original recipe obviously didn't include blending the sauce, and used a roux for binding, but this is more modern and presents nicer.

[shpj4]

Thank for you sharing you granny's signature dish - river eel with green herbs.

[mudbug]

Now this is a dish you don't see every day.