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How to Spitchcock an Eel (Open eels clean and dry)
Open 1-3 eels, clean and dry thoroughly, but do not skin. Cut into 3-inch lengths. Brush pieces with beaten egg. Sprinkle heavily with mixture of minced parsley, a tiny bit of minced sage, salt, pepper, and a dash of ground mace. String pieces on skewers, grill, and afterward spread with bits of butter. Eat very hot.
A spitchcocked eel is simply an eel split open, seasoned, and grilled rather than stewed or jellied. The whole method depends on driving off the fat under fierce heat, so a hot grill and thorough cooking matter more than anything else here.
- Cook it throughEel blood contains a protein toxin that is destroyed by heat, so eel is never eaten rare and trimmings should not be tasted raw. Grill until the flesh is opaque and pulls easily from the backbone, 145F at the thickest point.
- "Open" means butterfliedSplit the eel down the belly, remove the guts and the dark line of blood along the spine, and press it flat. The backbone can stay in for grilling and lifts out cleanly once cooked.
- Leave the skin onThe instruction not to skin is deliberate. Eel skin is thick and fatty; it holds the pieces together on the skewer and crisps as the fat renders. Scrub the outside well with coarse salt to strip the slime, then rinse and dry.
- Dry thoroughlyBeaten egg will not grip a wet eel, and the herb coating slides off with it. Pat the pieces dry and let them sit uncovered in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before brushing.
- Heat and timeGrill over direct medium-high heat, roughly 400-450F at the grate, turning the skewers every couple of minutes. Three-inch pieces take about 8 to 12 minutes depending on the thickness of the eel. Expect flare-ups as the fat drips.
- MaceGround mace is the outer covering of the nutmeg seed, warmer and less sweet than nutmeg itself. It is still sold ground; a scant pinch per eel is a "dash" in this style of writing.
- Quantities and yieldThe seasoning is given by eye rather than by measure. For one medium eel, start with about 2 tablespoons minced parsley, a quarter teaspoon minced sage, and salt and pepper to taste. One eel of about a pound serves two as a main course.
- SourcingEel is sold live, or frozen and cleaned, at Chinese, Japanese and Italian fishmongers; frozen dressed eel saves the unpleasant part of the job. Wild eel stocks are under real pressure worldwide, so check where the fish has come from.
- The butter goes on lastButter added on the grill will simply burn. Slide the pieces off the skewers onto a warm platter, dot with butter, and serve at once while the skin is still crisp.