What People Like About Eating Eels
Eel is a delicious dish especially when you prepare and cook it right. Depending on your taste and personal preference, there are various ways for you to cook eel. And for those who have not yet tried eating a dish using this ingredient, one might wonder what it is like. What does eel taste like?
Eels can be quite expensive, and for people who have not yet tried it, many are curious as to how it really tastes like. With its price, you would definitely want to know its taste.
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Know More About Eels
Know More About Eels
Eels can either be saltwater or freshwater fish. When it comes to taste, there is a slight different considering that they have different living environments. Saltwater fishes tend to have tough flesh and skin. That is why they are much cheaper compared to buying freshwater eels. For example, in Japan, they raise eels where there is controlled environment and they are consumed until they finally reach a certain size.
What Does Eel Taste Like?
Eels have a light taste. It tastes sweet, and if you happen to eat a Japanese dish like Unagi, you will surely appreciate the richness of its taste. This fish tastes the same like salmon. The only difference is that eel has a firm meat.
When the fish is really cooked, it tastes almost like chicken although some people would say that it has a bland taste. The taste of the eel would actually depend on how it is cooked. With all the different kinds of sauces and varying seasoning, you will appreciate the delicious taste and flavors of this fish.
Nutritional Value
Nutritional Values in Eel. Source: http://www.pegscantina.com/
Eels are popular not just because of their taste but as well as the nutritional value that you can get when you eat it. Eels are widely popular in Japan, and they believe that eating this fish can make them look beautiful and healthy. This is quite true since there are studies saying that eel is considered to be a highly nutritious food. This fish is rich in protein and other nutrition like calcium and unsaturated fats. It is also rich in vitamin E which is essential in having a healthy and glowing skin. So, if you are looking for a dish that is delicious and healthy, having the eel in your regular diet is definitely a must.
How to Prepare Eels
In the same way as how you prepare other fishes, it is also the same when you prepare eels. Preparing this fish can present some difficulties, and it helps that you know the right way to do it. Keep in mind that this fish is quite slippery and tough so you need to remove the skin as soon as it is dead. If not, then it will dry out which can be more difficult to remove.
- Step 1: Cut the skin behind the gills.
- Step 2: Pull the skin back and if you are experiencing some difficulty, you can use a glove or even pliers. One the skin is ripped out; you can use a knife to loosen it.
- Step 3: Use a small knife and cut the head and push the guts to the other side of the fish.
- Step 4: Cut its membrane along the side of the backbone.
- Step 5: Move the guts until they are discarded.
Once you have already prepared the eel, you can now use it to prepare any dish you like.
Fried Eel Recipe
One of the most popular recipes is the fried eel recipe which is very easy to do and would not require a lot of ingredients. For the ingredients, you need to have the 1 pound eel, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp seasoning, 1 tsp Cajun seasoning, 1 cup oil, 3 tsp salts, 1 tsp garlic and 1 tsp onion, 1 tsp black pepper, ½ cup wine and 2 tsp butter.
Spicy fried eel
Step-By-Step To Procedure
Prepare and clean the eel. Cut it in chunks and using a big bowl, mix the following: pepper, onion, oil, garlic, flour and seasoning. Put the eel into this mixture and marinate it for about an hour. Cook the fish over medium heat until it is golden brown. You can now add white wine, butter until it finally melts. Put on some butter sauce.
Aside from fried eel recipe, there are other recipes where you can use eel. You can make a Japanese recipe like unagi or you can also have it grilled. You can simply search the Internet to search for a wide range of eel recipes that teach you how to cook it along with the different seasonings that you can use.
Eels can be really taste and delicious. When you prepare it right and using the different cooking techniques and sauces, you will surely enjoy a great eel dish.
Do you have any good receipt to cook eels to share? We would love to hear it by comment posting below.