Fried Eels

Ingredients

• 1 lb eels
• 1 egg
• bread crumbs
• hot lard

Method

Kill the eels first by spiking them through the brain, then gut and skin them. Rinse thoroughly under cold water to remove blood and slime. Cut into 7–8 cm lengths, or leave small eels whole and curl them into rings for even cooking. Pat completely dry with a cloth—moisture will cause the deep-frying|hot lard to spit and prevent a proper crust from forming.

Set up your breading station: flour in one shallow bowl, beaten egg in another, bread-crumbs|fine breadcrumbs in a third. Working one piece at a time, dredge the eel in flour, shaking off excess, then dip it fully in egg and roll it in breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the coating adheres. The egg acts as the binder; the breadcrumbs create insulation between the delicate flesh and the heat. Arrange coated pieces on a plate and leave them for ten minutes—the coating will set better and won't slip off the eel during cooking.

Heat your lard to 180°C. If you don't have a thermometer, the surface should shimmer and a breadcrumb dropped in should sizzle violently and turn golden in about thirty seconds. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, lower the eel pieces into the fat carefully. They'll sink first, then float as pockets of steam expand beneath the crust. The frying|frying is complete when the coating is deep mahogany-brown and the flesh inside—test by prodding with a fork—flakes from the bone. This takes six to eight minutes, though colour is your reliable guide here, not time.

Lift cooked eels onto paper and salt them immediately whilst they're still steaming. The salt sticks to the grease and seasons the surface.

Fry parsley sprigs in the same lard for no more than thirty seconds—they'll darken fast and turn bitter if left too long—and scatter them over. Serve at once. The crumb will soften if held, so eat whilst the exterior still snaps.