-
1
Brine the Eel
3 Hrs • Hands Off
Cold brine, about 4°C (39°F)
Dissolve the salt and brown sugar in the water in a large container, stir in the bay leaves and peppercorns, and slide the eel in so it is fully covered. Cover and chill in the fridge for 3 hours.
Use a container the eel fits in without folding — a folded eel smokes unevenly.
Done when: Eel is fully submerged and the brine tastes pleasantly salty, not harsh.
-
2
Dry the Eel
30 Mins • Hands Off
Room temperature, about 22°C (72°F)
Lift the eel out, rinse it under cold water and pat it dry with paper towels. Lay it on a rack in a breezy spot for 30 minutes until the skin feels tacky and dry to the touch — this sticky layer is the pellicle, and it is what the smoke clings to.
A small fan aimed at the fish speeds the drying up and gives a better pellicle.
Done when: Skin is dry and slightly tacky, with no wet shine left.
-
3
Hot-Smoke Until Golden
3 Hrs • Hands Off
Smoker 70–80°C (158–176°F); eel to 63°C (145°F)
Heat the smoker and scatter the drained wood chips over the coals or in the chip tray. Hang or lay the eel on the racks, close the lid and smoke at 70–80°C (158–176°F) for about 3 hours, until the skin is deep gold and wrinkled and the thickest part of the flesh reads at least 63°C (145°F) on a thermometer.
Keep the smoker under 80°C — hotter and the fat cooks out, leaving dry fish sticks instead of silky eel.
Done when: Skin is deep gold and slightly wrinkled; flesh is opaque, flakes easily and reads at least 63°C (145°F).
-
4
Chill, Fillet and Slice
20 Mins • Hands On
Chilled, about 4°C (39°F)
Let the eel cool, then chill it in the fridge — cold eel slices cleanly, warm eel tears. Run a sharp fillet knife along the backbone from tail to head, lift each fillet away, cut out the ribcage and peel the skin off in one piece. Slice the fillets thinly on a diagonal.
Warm the knife blade under hot water and dry it before slicing — a warm, sharp blade glides through the oily flesh.
Done when: Fillets are boneless, skinless and sliced thin enough to see light through.
-
5
Build the Rye Bread Plates
10 Mins • Hands On
Serving temperature, eel about 10°C (50°F)
Butter the rye bread generously, lay the eel slices over it in overlapping rows, and finish with a squeeze of lemon and a scatter of snipped chives. Put extra lemon wedges on the table.
Butter right to the edges of the bread — it stops the eel's juices soaking in.
Done when: Bread is buttered edge to edge, eel is laid in neat rows, lemon and chives on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Eat the eel the Dutch way: pick up a slice with your fingers or a fork, lay it on the buttered rye, squeeze over a little lemon and finish with chives. Serve at once, while the bread is fresh.
Netherlands
45m
