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Eels Roasted in the Ashes (Clean and skin eels wash)
Clean and skin eels, wash and dry them well. Coil each one, lay a strong twig across it on top and another in the same position underneath, with the ends of both twigs extending a little beyond the coiled eel. Tie twigs together securely at both ends to hold the coils firm. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, wrap in well-buttered paper, securing the edges so juices will not escape. Then wrap again in several thicknesses of thick paper, and tie with a string. Lay in a bed of hot ashes, cover with hot ashes and roast 45 minutes. Take out, brush off the ashes, remove outer wrappings, and then remove buttered paper with care, saving the juice. Mix juice with melted butter, minced parsley and lemon juice, and dip portions of eel in it as eaten.
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A campfire method that works on the same principle as cooking en papillote: the wrapping holds the fat and juices against the flesh while the ash bed supplies steady, flameless heat. Everything depends on the parcel staying sealed.
- Seal the parcel properlyThe buttered inner wrapper is the whole point of the dish, since the rendered fat and juices become the sauce. Use baking parchment for the inner layer, then two or three turns of heavy foil in place of the outer "thick paper" the recipe calls for; modern printing inks and coated papers have no place against food.
- The ash bedYou want a deep bed of white ash over live hardwood embers, not open flame: steady, moderate, flameless heat. Ash from charcoal briquettes with binders and lighter fluid is not suitable; burn plain hardwood down first.
- SkinningEel skin is tough and comes away in one piece if you nick it behind the head, grip with a cloth or pliers and pull toward the tail. Some fishmongers will kill, skin and gut an eel on request, which is worth asking for.
- Eel bloodRaw eel serum contains a protein toxin that irritates skin and eyes and is dangerous if it reaches a cut. It is destroyed completely by heat, so cooked eel is harmless, but wear gloves while cleaning and rinse the board and knife well.
- Timing and sizeForty-five minutes suits a smaller eel; a thicker fish will need longer. The flesh should be opaque and pull cleanly from the backbone, and eel is unpleasant undercooked.
- The twigsTheir only job is to keep the coil from unwinding. Green hardwood, not resinous pine or anything from a shrub you cannot identify; two metal skewers do the same work with less doubt.
- The dipping sauceNo quantities are given. For one eel, figure about 4 tablespoons melted butter to the collected pan juice, a tablespoon of minced parsley and the juice of half a lemon, whisked and kept warm.
- YieldOne eel of this size feeds two as a main course, or four as part of a larger camp meal. Eel is very rich, so serve it with bread and something sharp.
- SourcingWild eel stocks have fallen sharply and the European eel is now trade-restricted. Buy from a supplier who can say where the fish came from. Note that farmed eel is still grown on from wild-caught juveniles, so it is not automatically a sustainable option.