Smoked Eel

Hot smoked eel with bacon and apple Like many fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon and trout, eel acquires a delicious, refined taste when smoked. Hot smoked eel with bacon and apple This appetizer is the inspiration and creation of chef Adam Gray Duration: 30 minutes Degree of difficulty: Easy Type: Starter Portion for 4 persons Ingredients – 300 ml apple and ginger juice – 220ml rapeseed oil – Salt – Ground white pepper – 2 green-yellow apples (Cox’s apples) – 200 gr smoked bacon lardons – 400g of smoked eel, boned and cut into 12 equal pieces – 1 bunch of micro watercress leaves Preparation Begin by preparing the dressing. Add 250 ml apple and ginger juice to a small pan and place over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then simmer until reduced to about 150ml. Remove from the heat and whisk in the rapeseed oil, then season to taste and set aside to cool before serving Peel and cut the apples into large dice and place in a bowl. Pour over just enough apple and ginger juice to cover and leave to marinate until ready to serve Place the smoked bacon lardons in a pan and cover with cold water. Place on a high heat and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and immediately drain through a colander. Run the lardons under cold water to refresh and remove any residue, then pat dry with kitchen paper Add 100ml rapeseed oil to a frying pan and place over a medium heat, then add the blanched lardons to the pan and fry gently until golden brown. Transfer the cooked lardons to a tray lined with kitchen paper and leave to drain of any excess fat. Meanwhile, arrange the eel pieces on a metal tray and place under a hot grill for a few minutes until heated through, taking care not to let the tops burn. To serve, drain the apple cubes from the juice and divide between plates. Scatter over the cooked lardons and add the pieces of hot smoked eel. Garnish with the watercress leaves and a drizzle of the apple and ginger dressing

Smoked eel canapé This is a delicate dish from Theo Randall with smoked eel and beetroot producing a colourful and impressive canapé. Smoked eel canapé The inspiration and creator of this culinary delicacy is chef Theo Randall. Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes Degree of difficulty: Easy Type: Canapé Portion for 5 persons Ingredients 3 red beetroots, boiled and peeled 3 yellow beetroots, boiled and peeled 2 tbsp of olive oil 1 tbsp of fresh horseradish, grated 2 tbsp of crème fraîche 2 smoked eel fillets 1 handful of rocket 5 slices of sourdough bread, toasted 1/2 lemon black pepper, freshly ground salt Preparation Cook the red and yellow beetroot in two separate pans for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain, cool and peel. Cut the beetroots into eights and toss each colour beetroot in 1 tbsp olive oil with some salt and pepper. Do this separately so that the beetroots do not blend their colours. Mix the horseradish and crème fraîche together and set aside until needed. Cut the smoked eel fillet into 10 slices. Spread the horseradish on the toast pieces, then add 2 rocket leaves per toast plus a wedge of each colour beetroot. Put a small spoonful of horseradish on top of the beetroot and finish with the slice of smoked eel. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and some freshly milled black pepper. Source www.greatbritishchefs.com