Eels have a fascinating life story – and they can make a pretty interesting delicacy, too, writes DOMINI KEMP.
I’M A SUCKER for wildlife shows and facts about Mother Nature, especially stories about the long and arduous life adventures that tiny creatures endure for their survival. Some of these minuscule creations make journeys into the unknown with nothing to guide them other than instinct and an urgent need to get their work done. No sat-nav, no compass, just blind ignorance and magical instinct.
According to my marine website trawling, eels fit the bill here on many fronts: like trout and salmon, they are catadromous in that they live in both fresh and salt water. They are also pretty enigmatic, thought to be born in the Sargasso Sea, the only “sea” without shores, in the middle of the Atlantic, located near the Bermuda triangle. In this particular stretch of sea there’s a massive blanket of seaweed known as the sargassum, where it’s believed the eels’ larvae hatch. The larvae resemble little leaves and they spend the next few years drifting across the Atlantic, availing of the Gulf Stream currents to bring them back to the shores of Europe.
Once they hit the coasts of Europe, they migrate up rivers and streams, overcoming all sorts of natural challenges to get to ponds and creeks. They can move over wet grass and even dig through wet sand to reach their freshwater destinations. They can spend up to 20 years eating and growing, until the time comes for them to make the journey back to the Sargasso Sea.
To prepare for such a long and dangerous journey, they undergo several radical physical transformations: their eyes enlarge to enhance their vision in the open sea. Their bodies turn silver to create counter-shading and help keep them camouflaged from predators. Their gut dissolves, making feeding impossible, but giving them a lighter and leaner body mass. Thus, they rely on fat stores to give them the energy they need to get back to the Sargasso, where they spawn and eventually die.
To enjoy the delicacy of smoked eel, I highly recommend buying a pack of smoked eel fillets from Ummera smokehouse, in Co Cork, rather than fishing for them out in the Sargasso where Lord knows what might happen to you in the Bermuda triangle. You can make this delicious salad using Ummera smoked bacon as well. If you don’t fancy the eel, or feel bad about eating it after reading the above tales, substitute smoked salmon.
Smoked eel and bacon salad
(serves four as a starter)
Adapted from a Rowley Leigh recipe.
1 head of frisée lettuce
Squeeze of lemon juice
Olive oil
200g smoked eel fillets, thinly sliced
8 thin rashers, grilled until crisp
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
Butter dressing
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp white wine
2 tbsp water
125g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Heat up everything except the butter in a small saucepan and reduce the liquid until you have one tablespoon of liquid left. Over a low heat, whisk in the butter very gradually, and add a few splashes of water every now and then if it looks like it might split. Season and set aside. Toss the frisée with a little olive oil and lemon juice. Arrange on a big platter with slices of the eel and broken up pieces of the rashers. Spoon the dressing over the top and sprinkle with chives.
Roast shoulder of lamb
1.6 kg lamb shoulder on the bone
2 heads of garlic
Big handful rosemary
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preheat an oven to 220 degrees/gas seven. Place the lamb on a large sheet of tin foil and then place in a roasting tin. Cut the garlic heads horizontally and plonk them into the lamb parcel along with some rosemary, a good drizzle of olive oil and seasoning. Wrap up in the tin foil and cook for 30 minutes on a high heat, then turn down the oven to 170 degrees/gas three, and cook for another three-and-a-half or four hours. Allow to cool slightly and serve slices of lamb with the spuds (below).
Jansonn’s Temptation
(serves three or four)
I’m not a big fan of anchovies, but I do rather like this spud dish.
6 medium-size spuds
50g butter
2 onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 x 125g tins anchovies, drained
Salt and pepper
400ml cream
2 tbsp white breadcrumbs
Pre-heat an oven to 190 degrees/gas five. Cut the potatoes into small matchstick shapes, rinse them in cold water, then drain and pat dry using a clean tea towel, or some paper towels. Grease a gratin dish with half the butter. Fill the bottom of the dish with onions. Roughly chop up the anchovies and scatter them on the onions. Top with the spuds, seasoning each layer. Pour the cream on top, and press down. Top with breadcrumbs, dot with the remaining butter and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. The top should be golden brown and the spuds very tender.
See also www.itsa.ie