Smoked Eel (Røget Ăl)
Denmark is often cited as the happiest country in the world, and I think it may be because Danes don't have to smoke their own eel just in order to enjoy this smørrebrød (possibly, my personal favourite). They can just walk into a local shop and buy it as easily as Montrealers can buy smoked meat and bagels. What's not to love about that? Canadians rank lower on the happiness scale due to cold winters and few Stanley Cups, long waiting lists for knee replacements, and, especially problematic for me, no smoked eel.
Actually, this dilemma is precisely the raison-d'etre behind my blog: I wanted to enjoy great smørrebrød, but I couldn't get the ingredients ready-made in my neighbourhood shops. So, I needed to figure out how to make everything myself. And, alas, smoked eel can be very tough to find. Actually, fresh eel can be tough to find, too, so when I discovered that my local fishmonger had fresh eel, I snatched it up and rushed home to smoke it (even though it was the middle of January). But more about that later.
In many parts of the world, eel is a delicacy. Yet, inexplicably, eel is generally off the culinary radar in North America - unjustly in my opinion, as the flesh is succulent, with a mild flavour that is perfectly complimented by the addition of smoke. True that the eels themselves are hideous looking monsters, and a bit on the gross side to touch, but once cooked, the meat is similar to other meaty white fish - for instance monkfish.
Hideous monster on the outside, tasty delight on the inside!
As a smørrebrød, smoked eel should be eaten on buttered Danish rye bread and is traditionally paired with scrambled egg. I also like to add asparagus, both for the taste, and for the welcome addition of a little colour. Not only should smørrebrød taste good, it should look good. Thus the open face.
On to smoking. There are entire books written on the subject of smoking, and I am no expert, but I have learned that you can impart a very nice smokey flavour to eel using nothing by a barbecue and some wood chips. Here are some tips:
- Before smoking, the eel needs to be cleaned thoroughly and sliced into manageably-sized pieces (4-5 inches long).
I find that the flavor is greatly enhanced if you brine the eel overnight before smoking.- When ready to smoke, you want to place hardwood wood chips in foil and lay it all directly on the barbecue until the wood begins to smoke. You should then cover the wood chips with more wood chips that have soaked in water for half an hour or so, so nothing catches fire. You want smoked eel, not burnt eel.
- Place the eel on the barbecue raised away from the heat - you don't want the eel to cook too quickly. It needs time to absorb the smokey flavor.
- The best way to know when the eel is done is with a meat thermometer. Once the eel reaches an internal temperature of 155-160F, it's ready to eat.
When I am in Copenhagen, I try to make a point of enjoying a smoked eel smørrebrød in a restaurant, for instance at Aamanns, which specializes in classic Danish lunch fare - with a twist. Located on Øster Farimansgade, I love this place for the food, the decor, the atmosphere. If I were to open a restaurant in Canada, I'd want it to be like Aamans.
Here is how to prepare your own smoked eel smørrebrød.
Ingredients for 4 smørrebrød
- 1 kg fresh eel
- 1 cup of hardwood wood chips (half dry, half soaked in water)
- 500 ml pickling liquid
- 12 Asparagus spears, steamed
- 2 Eggs
- 4 slices of Danish rye bread, buttered
- Thoroughly clean and cut up the eel.
- Brine the eel pieces in spiced pickling liquid overnight. See below for recipe.
Prepare the barbecue for smoking using hardwood such as maple, hickory, or mesquite.- Place the eel on the barbecue and close the lid. Allow it to smoke until the eel is cooked through. Remove from the heat.
- Allow the eel to cool slightly and then, using your fingers, peel away the skin.
- Separate the filets from the spine and pick out any small bones that are present.
- Make the omelet - whip the eggs with a little water and a pinch of salt.
- Pour the eggs in medium-sized non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and cook until eggs set. Transfer to a plate, fold, and cut into slices.
- Place 2-3 filets on buttered Danish rye bread and serve with sliced omelet and asparagus spears.
"Lækker!"
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