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Spit-Roasted Eel with Bread and Sage
Skewers of peeled eel pieces, bread and sage roasted gently in their own fat, then browned and served with lemon.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 800 g legally sourced adult European eel (Anguilla anguilla), professionally gutted, headed and skinned, prepared weight; 200 g firm bread, cut into roughly 3 cm cubes; 8 sage leaves; Salt; 1 lemon, cut into wedges.
Step 2
Buy prepared adult eel only from a licensed food supplier who can confirm legal sourcing for your location. Keep it at 4°C or colder. Cut the skinned body into pieces about 3 cm long and check for loose bones.
Step 3
Thread the eel onto metal roasting skewers, alternating each piece with bread on either side and distributing the sage leaves between them. Salt lightly. Do not add oil or butter: the eel cooks in its own rendered fat.
Step 4
Cook on a rotisserie or over a moderate grill, turning frequently for about 25–35 minutes, until the flesh reaches at least 70°C beside the central bone. Move briefly nearer the heat for 1–2 minutes at the end to crisp and brown the exterior, watching the bread closely and avoiding flare-ups.
Step 5
Serve hot with lemon wedges. Slide the food off the skewers and remove the central bones before eating. A few bay leaves may replace the sage; remove them before eating.
Step 6
For a plain grilled version, use about 800 g medium-sized adult eel, gutted and headed by the fishmonger but with its skin retained, salt, pepper and the same lemon. Cut only as needed to fit the grill and cook over moderate heat, turning carefully, for about 20–30 minutes or until at least 70°C at the thickest point. Season with salt and pepper, serve hot with lemon and remove the bones. This version uses no bread, sage or added oil.
Step 7
For the Comacchio-style butterflied version, ask the fishmonger to gut, head and butterfly about 800 g medium adult eel, removing the backbone; retain skin on thinner fish and have thicker skin removed if necessary. Grill the opened fish over moderate heat for about 8–12 minutes per side, depending on thickness, seasoning with salt and pepper halfway through. Check at least 70°C throughout and serve immediately. No bread, sage or added oil is needed.
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