Smoked Eel
Smoked eel is a North German delicacy in which the eel is first brined in a seasoned lake and then cold-smoked. The fat of the eel absorbs the smoke aromas particularly intensively. The combination of beechwood and a long smoking time produces an incomparable flavour.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Preparing the brine
15 minutesBring water with salt, sugar, bay leaves, pepper and juniper berries to a boil until salt and sugar are fully dissolved. Allow brine to cool completely.
Brining
12 hoursPlace gutted and cleaned eels fully into the cooled brine. Weigh down the eels so they are completely submerged and store at 2–4 °C in the refrigerator.
Drying the pellicle
2–3 hoursRemove eels from brine, briefly rinse and pat dry. Place on a rack with good air circulation at 4–10 °C until the surface is slightly tacky and glossy.
Cold smoking
12–18 hoursSmoke eels using a cold smoke generator with beech dust at a maximum of 20 °C. Smoke in several rounds of 4–6 hours each with breaks to avoid overheating. After smoking, vacuum-seal and allow to rest for at least 12 hours.
Pro Tip
Always allow a pellicle to form – without this sticky protective layer, smoke aromas will not adhere evenly to the surface of the eel.
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