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📝 Description
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🥘 Ingredients
5 or 6 young onions, a few mushrooms, when obtainable; salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste; 1 laurel-leaf, 1/2 pint of port wine, 1/2 pint of medium stock, No. 105; butter and flour to thicken; 2 lbs. of eels.
👨🍳 Method
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 1/2 hour. Make round the dish, a border of croutons, or pieces of toasted bread; arrange the eels in a pyramid in the centre, and pour over the sauce. Serve very hot.
📜 From Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management (1861). Public domain.
⭐ Reader Reviews
Honest opinions from readers who have explored this book.
I tried Eels En Matelote from Mrs. Beeton's 1861 cookbook, expecting a fishy challenge. Instead, I found a comforting, wine-infused stew that warmed my kitchen on a chilly evening. The eels, surprisingly mild in flavour, soaked up the port and stock like a sponge, becoming tender and succulent after just half an hour of simmering. What delighted me most was the humble onion's transformation. Finely chopped and slowly browned in butter, they became sweet and caramelized, forming a rich base for the dish. This recipe is perfect for the adventurous weeknight cook seeking to elevate simple ingredients. Serve it with crusty bread to soak up the sauce, and enjoy a taste of Victorian comfort food.
