Quick-Fried Eel Tail
A Huaiyang-style cold appetizer of blanched eel drizzled with a fragrant garlic braising sauce.
Ingredients
Eel (select small, thin ones; use only the dorsal meat, discard the belly meat)
1000 g
Fine salt
125 g
Soy sauce
40 g
Sesame oil
40 g
Aromatic vinegar
20 g
White sugar
a pinch
Ground white pepper
a pinch
Minced garlic
a pinch
Chicken broth (for thoroughly blanching the eel strips)
to taste
Instructions
1
Blanch the eel
First bring water mixed with salt and vinegar to a boil, then add the eel and cover tightly. After about 2 to 3 minutes, the eel will be fully blanched. Remove the lid, stir the water in all directions with a ladle. When the water boils a second time, pour in cold water. When it boils a third time, immediately reduce to low heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Take out the eel, cut it into long strips (use only the dorsal meat, discard the belly meat), then place the eel strips into boiling chicken broth to blanch thoroughly.
2
Make sauce and serve
Simmer minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, sugar, and aromatic vinegar to make a savory sauce. Right before serving, steam the eel until hot, arrange it neatly in a serving bowl, pour the prepared sauce over the eel, and sprinkle with a small amount of ground white pepper before serving.
