_Ingredients._—3 lbs. of eels, 1 onion, 2 oz. of butter, 3 blades of
mace, 1 bunch of sweet herbs, ¼ oz. of peppercorns, salt to taste,
2 tablespoonfuls of flour, ¼ pint of cream, 2 quarts of water.
_Mode._—Wash the eels, cut them into thin slices, and put them into
the stewpan with the butter; let them simmer for a few minutes, then
pour the water to them, and add the onion, cut in thin slices, the
herbs, mace, and seasoning. Simmer till the eels are tender, but do
not break the fish. Take them out carefully, mix the flour smoothly to
a batter with the cream, bring it to a boil, pour over the eels, and
serve. _Time._—1 hour or rather more. _Average cost_, 10_d._ per quart.
_Seasonable_ from June to March. _Sufficient_ for 8 persons.
_Note._—This soup may be flavoured differently by omitting the cream,
and adding a little ketchup or Harvey’s sauce.
EELS, Boiled.
_Ingredients._—4 small eels, sufficient water to cover them; a large
bunch of parsley. _Mode._—Choose small eels for boiling; put them into
a stewpan with the parsley, and just sufficient water to cover them;
simmer till tender. Take them out, pour a little parsley and butter
over them, and serve some in a tureen. _Time._—½ hour. _Average cost_,
6_d._ per lb. _Seasonable_ from June to March. _Sufficient_ for 4
persons.
EEL, Collared.
_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_, 6_d._ per lb. _Seasonable_ from
August to March.
EELS, Fried.
_Ingredients._—1 lb. of eels, 1 egg, a few bread-crumbs, hot lard.
_Mode._—Wash the eels, cut them into pieces 3 inches long, trim and
wipe them very dry; dredge with flour, rub them over with egg, and
cover with bread-crumbs; fry a nice brown in hot lard. If the eels are
small, curl them round, instead of cutting them up. Garnish with fried
parsley. _Time._—20 minutes or rather less. _Average cost_, 6_d._ per
lb. _Seasonable_ from June to March.
EELS, en Matelote.
_Ingredients._—5 or 6 young onions, a few mushrooms, when obtainable;
salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste; 1 laurel leaf, ½ pint of port wine,
½ pint of medium stock, butter and flour to thicken; 2 lbs. of eels.
_Mode._—Rub the stewpan with butter, dredge in a little flour, add
the onions cut very small, slightly brown them, and put in all the
other ingredients. Wash, and cut up the eels into pieces 3 inches
long; put them in the stewpan, and simmer for ½ hour. Make round the
dish a border of croûtons, or pieces of toasted bread; arrange the
eels in a pyramid in the centre, and pour over the sauce. Serve very
hot. _Time._—¾ hour. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 9_d._ for this quantity.
_Seasonable_ from August to March. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.
EELS, Stewed.
_Ingredients._—2 lbs. of eels, 1 pint of rich strong stock, 1 onion,
3 cloves, a piece of lemon-peel, 1 glass of port or Madeira, 3
tablespoonfuls of cream; thickening of flour; cayenne and lemon-juice
to taste. _Mode._—Wash and skin the eels, and cut them into pieces
about 3 inches long; pepper and salt them, and lay them in a stewpan;
pour over the stock, add the onion stuck with cloves, the lemon-peel,
and the wine. Stew gently for ½ hour, or rather more, and lift
them carefully on a dish, which keep hot. Strain the gravy, stir
the cream, sufficient flour to thicken; mix altogether, boil for 2
minutes, and add the cayenne and lemon-juice; pour over the eels and
serve. _Time._—¾ hour. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 2_s._ 3_d._
_Seasonable_ from June to March. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.
EELS, Stewed.
_Ingredients._—2 lbs. of middling-sized eels, 1 pint of medium stock,
¼ pint of port wine; salt, cayenne, and mace to taste; 1 teaspoonful
of essence of anchovy, the juice of ½ a lemon. _Mode._—Skin, wash, and
clean the eels, thoroughly; cut them into pieces 3 inches long, and
put them into strong salt and water for 1 hour; dry them well with a
cloth, and fry them brown. Put the stock on with the heads and tails
of the eels, and simmer for ½ hour; strain it, and add all the other
ingredients. Put in the eels, and stew gently for ½ hour, when serve.
_Time._—2 hours. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 9_d._ _Seasonable_ from June to
March. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.
EELS, à la Tartare.
_Ingredients._—2 lbs. of eels, 1 carrot, 1 onion, a little flour, 1
glass of sherry; salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste; bread-crumbs,
1 egg, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar. _Mode._—Rub the butter on the
bottom of the stewpan; cut up the carrot and onion, and stir them over
the fire for 5 minutes; dredge in a little flour, add the wine and
seasoning, and boil for ½ an hour. Skin and wash the eels, cut them
into pieces, put them to the other ingredients, and simmer till tender.
When they are done, take them out, let them get cold, cover them with
egg and bread-crumbs, and fry them of a nice brown. Put them on a dish,
pour sauce piquante over, and serve them hot. _Time._—1½ hour. _Average
cost_, 1_s._ 8_d._, exclusive of the sauce piquante. _Seasonable_ from
August to March. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.