Collared Eel is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of eel that's skinned, boned, rubbed with spices and boiled in lightly-salted water. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Collared Eel.
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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
254. INGREDIENTS — 1 large eel; pepper and salt to taste; 2 blades of mace, 2 cloves, a little allspice very finely pounded, 6 leaves of sage, and a small bunch of herbs minced very small.
Mode.–Bone the eel and skin it; split it, and sprinkle it over with the ingredients, taking care that the spices are very finely pounded, and the herbs chopped very small. Roll it up and bind with a broad piece of tape, and boil it in water, mixed with a little salt and vinegar, till tender. It may either be served whole or cut in slices; and when cold, the eel should be kept in the liquor it was boiled in, but with a little more vinegar put to it.
Time.–2 hours. Average cost, 6d. per lb.
Seasonable from August to March.
HAUNTS OF THE EEL.–These are usually in mud, among weeds, under roots or stumps of trees, or in holes in the banks or the bottoms of rivers. Here they often grow to an enormous size, sometimes weighing as much as fifteen or sixteen pounds. They seldom come forth from their hiding—places except in the night; and, in winter, bury themselves deep in the mud, on account of their great susceptibility of cold.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 whole, large, eel
1 small bunch of herbs (containing parsley and tarragon), finely minced
6 sage leaves
2 blades of mace, ground
2 cloves, ground
3 allspice berries, finely pounded, or ground
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Skin and bone the eel. 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. To bone the eel, make a slit down the back and remove the backbone.
Combine all the remaining ingredients in a bowl and season well. Use this mix to rub all over the outside and inside of the fish. Roll it up into a ring then bind in place with cloth or tape. Place in a pan of lightly-salted water seasoned with a little vinegar. Cook until tender (about 20 minutes).
Drain the fish (reserve the cooking liquid) and allow to cool. It can either be served whole or it can be cut into slices. If you are going to keep the eel and not eat immediately, it should be stored in the refrigerator, submerged in the liquid in which it was cooked (but add a little more vinegar to this first).
