Pictorial: Steamed eel

[Kent Wang]

Pictorial Recipe

Eel steamed with ginger and scallions

This is a very simple, pure preparation for eel. If you have not had eel before, the taste and texture is very similar to freshwater fish -- a bit like snake, too, but I doubt you've had snake if you've never had eel. Further warning for Westerners: each piece of eel has some bone that you'll have to work around; shouldn't be too much trouble for the dexterous.

Serving Suggestion: 3 - 4

Ingredients:

- 1 lb eel

- Chinese cooking wine

- salt

- ginger

- scallions

Start with 1 lb of eel.

Slice into inch-long pieces. You'll be cutting through bone so use a proper knife.

Add 1 cup cooking wine, 1 tbsp salt, a bunch of ginger.

Mix well and marinate for 1 hour or overnight.

Add scallions, add water to submerge.

Place bowl in steamer (this was a tight fit and not the best setup) and steam for 30 minutes.

Done!

[JasonZ]

Hi Kent:

When you say there is some bone to work around, I assume there is a spinal column and ribs. What is proper etiquette? do you pick up a piece with chopsticks, put in in your mouth and essentially nibble or suck the flesh off the bone, then (daintily ) remove the bones and put them aside on your plate, or do you attempt to free the flesh from the bone on your plate before lifting anything to your lips?

[Kent Wang]

The most dainty way to eat it would be to pick it up with chopsticks and nibble the meat off the bones while holding the piece with your chopsticks, as opposed to sticking the whole thing in your mouth.

[jkonick]

Thanks for posting this recipe Kent! I have an eel in my freezer right now so I'll have to try it.

A few questions though. I've used that same brand of eel, and for some reason to me it doesn't taste like any eel I've had before. It had more of a tuna like consistency, as compared to the almost lobster-tuna consistency of eel I've had before. Is "yellow" eel a different kind than is commonly used, or did I just cook it wrong?

Also, why do you leave the skin on? You can't eat it, right? It's so tough. Do you just take it off when you eat it?

[Kent Wang]

Strange, I can't believe that it's the same brand as the skin is definitely edible and tasty. In fact, I don't think I've ever had eel with tough skin.

This brand was a little strange though as it released a bunch of sticky fluid after removing it from the package. I don't know if those are preservatives or the eel's natural juices. All other eel I've had has had only thin, fish-like blood. After cooking though, it tasted the same as the other eel that I've had.

[canucklehead]

Kent - what an intersting treatment of eels. Much lighter and 'cleaner' than I've seen normally in Chinese cooking.

I thought you or your family were from Shanghai... I was expecting the classic braised brown sauced Shanghainese style. Your treatment is a nice twist.

[hzrt8w]

I thought you or your family were from Shanghai...  I was expecting the classic braised brown sauced Shanghainese style.  Your treatment is a nice twist.

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I too would be very interested to see an illustration of stir-fried eel, Shanghai style. "Chow Seen Wu" as we Cantonese call it.

[Kent Wang]

Indeed, this is a more Cantonese treatment.

My favorite preparation though is stir-fried eel strips, san shi I believe it is in Mandarin. This requires a different cut of eel, deboned and sliced into small chopstick-thick strips, stir-fried with soy sauce, scallions and drizzled with sesame oil. Is this what you're referring to, hzrt8w? Trouble is that I can't find eel sold in this cut here in Austin. I'll have to get some when I am in Houston next.