Ingredients
Eel
- 1 kgeel, skinned and cut into 5 cm pieces
- salt and white pepper
Green herbs
- 150 gsorrel
- 1large bunch chervil
- 1large bunch flat parsley
- 100 gspinach
- 1 bunchwatercress
- a few leaves sage
- 1 sprigtarragon
- 1 sprigmint, optional
Pot
- 60 gbutter
- 3shallots, finely chopped
- 250 mldry white wine or Belgian blond beer
- 250 mlfish stock
- 1bay leaf
To finish
- 2egg yolks
- 100 mldouble cream
- juice of half a lemon
- salt and white pepper
To serve
- bread and butter
- boiled potatoes
- a Belgian beer
Directions
- Rinse the pieces and pat them dry, then season them. Wash all the herbs and greens, pick out the tough stalks, and chop them roughly. Melt the butter in a wide pan and soften the shallots without colouring them, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the wine and the stock, add the bay leaf, and bring to a bare simmer. Slide the eel pieces in and poach them gently for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Lift the eel out with a slotted spoon and keep it warm. Cook them for 3 to 4 minutes only, until just wilted.
- Keep it brief. Sorrel collapses within a minute and everything goes khaki if it is cooked longer, and the dish is called green for a reason.
- Take the pan off the heat entirely. Beat the egg yolks with the cream in a bowl, then whisk a ladleful of the hot liquid into them.
- Pour the tempered mixture back in, off the heat, whisking, and return the pan to the very lowest heat.
- Warm it gently until it thickens slightly, and never let it approach a simmer again. Season with lemon, salt and white pepper, and return the eel to the sauce to warm through.
Technique
- It is eaten both hot and cold, and cold in summer is entirely traditional.
- Some versions use no cream or egg at all and are simply eel in a herb broth.
- Belgian blond beer in place of wine is common and gives a slightly sweeter sauce.
Substitutions
- Farmed eel, or a firm freshwater fish such as pike or zander.
- Spinach with extra lemon in place of sorrel, which is a compromise rather than a match.
Variations
- Made with beer instead of wine.
- Without the egg and cream liaison.
- Served cold as a summer starter.
History
A Flemish speciality of the Scheldt and Dender waterways, where eel was plentiful; riverside restaurants around Dendermonde still specialise in it.
Frequently asked questions
What is Paling in ‘t groen?
Paling in ‘t groen is a main from Belgium: river eel poached in a green sauce of sorrel, chervil and spinach. A Flemish speciality of the Scheldt and Dender waterways, where eel was plentiful; riverside restaurants around Dendermonde still specialise in it.
How long does Paling in ‘t groen take to make?
Paling in ‘t groen takes 30 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Paling in ‘t groen?
Yes, within limits. Farmed eel, or a firm freshwater fish such as pike or zander. Spinach with extra lemon in place of sorrel, which is a compromise rather than a match.
What is the most important thing to get right in Paling in ‘t groen?
Warm it gently until it thickens slightly, and never let it approach a simmer again. Season with lemon, salt and white pepper, and return the eel to the sauce to warm through.
