Take ten pounds of fine fresh river eels, each one and a half pound to
two pounds, skin them, cut off the heads, tails, and fins, lay them
open at the backs and remove all visible bones, and wash in salt and
water; then dry them, cut them into pieces four inches long, and lay
them in salt and water with a bit of saltpetre in it for ten hours;
then make a seasoning thus:
Allspice, ground finely 1 oz.
Cayenne pepper, ground finely 1 teaspoonful
Bay leaf, in fine powder 1 oz.
Parsley, dried and rubbed fine 2 oz.
Dry the fish well with cloths, rub them all over plentifully with this
mixture, and let them lie packed closely for twenty-four hours; roll
them up neat into little collars, tie them round, and bake them in a
wide-mouthed jar with a teacupful of water and vinegar at the bottom.
Next day pour off the liquor, take out the collars and put them singly
into white earthenware pots, and cover with olive oil, observing to
replenish the oil before finally closing up with bladder.
SUPERIOR MARINATED SILVER EELS,
OF VERY HIGH FLAVOUR.
Get fresh eels of ten to fifteen ounces each, skin them, take off
heads, tails, and fins, open them at the bellies, and, clearing away
all refuse, wash them in salt and water and dry with cloths. Then for
ten pounds of fish take
Garlic, minced finely ½ oz.
Chillies, minced finely 1 oz.
Juniper berries, minced finely ¾ oz.
Jamaica pepper, powdered 1 oz.
Bay salt 1 lb.
Saltpetre ¼ lb.
Vinegar 1 pint
Boil these twenty minutes, skimming well, and let go cold. Cut the fish
into pieces, place them in a deep dish and pour this pickle over them,
so let them lie till next day. Take out the fish and rub each piece
separately with the mixture, replace the fish in the vessel and let
them lie so for twenty-four hours longer. Now wipe them and hang them
up in a current of air for two days; then with a soft brush take off
the herbs and spice and roll up tightly each piece into a collar, which
secure with narrow tapes. Choose pots of white earthenware that will
each just hold a collar, and so as to allow of the fish being totally
surrounded by oil, and fill up with olive oil and replenishing as
before directed previous to finishing with wetted bladder. Keep these
three months at least, when they will be a fine relish at a moderate
expense. They should be boiled in hot water, and when cold enough the
tapes taken off and the fish eaten cold.