Fried Eels

A straightforward pan-fry that depends entirely on the salt-and-vinegar step beforehand. Eel is rich and slightly slippery raw; the hour of curing firms the flesh and cuts the fattiness.

• The hinge: dry the fish properlyAfter the salt-and-vinegar hour, wipe every piece genuinely dry, inside and out. Damp eel will steam rather than brown, and the coating slides off in the pan.
• Skinning and portioningEel skin is tough and leathery, which is why the recipe calls for skinned eels; a fishmonger can do this for you. The recipe does not say how large "handy portions for grabbing" should be. The eel keeps its backbone and you eat around it, as written.
• Salt and vinegar quantitiesThe recipe gives none, and it says only to sprinkle rather than soak: a generous scattering of salt and a splash of plain vinegar over the pieces is what is implied. Keep it light rather than measuring out a marinade.
• "Season"Black pepper, and go easy on further salt since the cure has already seasoned the flesh. Cayenne or paprika suits the richness.
• Coating choiceFlour with parsley gives a thin, crisp surface; egg and crumbs gives a heavier crust that holds the Worcestershire better. Either works, but do not do both.
• Butter and heatButter alone will brown before thick eel pieces cook through. Use clarified butter, or half butter and half a neutral oil, over medium heat.
• Time to cookEel is dense and fatty; allow 4-5 minutes a side for pieces of average thickness, until the flesh at the bone is opaque and pulls away easily. Underdone eel has a rubbery texture that no sauce disguises.
• YieldFigure roughly 6-8 oz of dressed eel per person as a main course, so a whole eel of about 2 lb will serve three or four depending on how much is lost in skinning and trimming.