CookEat Recipe
Eel Braised with Wine and Sage
Skin-on eel pieces browned with garlic, sage and lemon peel, then gently braised with tomato, dry wine and water.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: One or more whole legally sourced adult European eels (Anguilla anguilla), about 500 g total before cleaning, professionally gutted and headed with skin retained; 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced; 4 sage leaves, roughly chopped; Thin peel from one quarter of a lemon, without thick white pith; 1 tablespoon olive oil; Salt and black pepper; 150 ml plain tomato purée; 50 ml dry red wine; 100 ml water.
Step 2
Use adult eel from a licensed food supplier who can confirm legal sourcing for your location. Have it gutted, headed and cleaned of surface mucus while retaining the skin. If needed, wipe with clean damp disposable kitchen paper and rinse briefly with potable water; do not rub it with sand. Pat dry and cut into short rounds about 3–4 cm long.
Step 3
Warm the oil with the sliced garlic, roughly chopped sage and lemon peel in a snug pan. Cook for about 1–2 minutes until lightly coloured. Add the eel, salt and pepper and let it brown gently. As the juices diminish, loosen the pieces carefully with a thin spatula so they do not stick.
Step 4
When one side is browned, add the tomato purée and turn the pieces. Cook for a few more minutes to colour the other side, taking care not to scorch the tomato. Mix the wine with the water, pour it into the pan and cover.
Step 5
Simmer very gently for about 15–20 minutes, adjusting for thickness, until the fish reaches at least 70°C. Serve four small portions with some of the sauce and remove central bones before eating.
Step 6
The same 50 ml dry white wine may replace the red wine. Tomato paste may replace the purée: dissolve 1 tablespoon paste in 125 ml water and add at the tomato stage, then use the same measured wine-water mixture later. This dish is freshly cooked food, not a preserving method.
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