Stewed Eels is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of eels that are stewed in a white wine stock with mushrooms and button onions, where the pan juices are thickened to make a sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Stewed Eels.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Stewed Eels that's derived from the chef, Charles Elmé Francatelli's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
No. 269.—STEWED EELS.
Sec Stewed Lampreys, No. 265.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
4 eels
60g button mushrooms
2 tbsp finely-chopped parsley
freshly-grated nutmeg, to taste
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
600ml white wine
6 button onions, peeled
60g butter mixed with 60g plain flour until smooth
Method:
To skin and gut an eel, 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 then cut into 8cm lengths.
Combine in a pan with the mushrooms, parsley, wine and button onions then season with nutmeg, salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover and stew slowly for about 40 minutes, or until the lampreys are very tender.
Whisk in the flour and butter mix until smooth, bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Turn into a bowl and serve.
