Eels in Piquant Sauce (All i Pebre)
Try this Eels in Piquant Sauce (All i Pebre) recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Eels in Piquant Sauce (All i Pebre) recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 1.83396641835224 g
- Cholesterol 228.61055448 mg
- Fat 23.1616622205249 g
- Fiber 0.972349187332867 g
- Protein 34.2836087949797 g
- Saturated Fat 4.49585665057017 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (259g)
- Sodium 112.024176814362 mg
- Sugar 0.861617231019378 g
- Trans Fat 2.21080067757264 g
- Calories 359 calories
Step-by-step
- Clean and skin eels and cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a casserole or skillet, add paprika, and stir in enough water to cover eels.
- Bring to a boil and add pieces of eel.
- Meanwhile with a mortar and pestle or in an electric blender crush garlic, almonds, parsley, and saffron with enough olive oil to make a smooth paste.
- Stir mixture into casserole, add salt to taste, and cook for about 20 minutes or until eels are done.
- Add more water if sauce thickens.
- Serve hot.
Most cooks ruin freshwater fish stews by boiling the sauce vigorously after adding the nut paste, which causes the fats to separate and breaks the emulsion. Maintaining a gentle simmer prevents the oils from the blanched almonds from oiling off and separating from the liquid. Ground almonds act as a natural suspension agent, releasing starches and proteins that bind the hot water and olive oil into a cohesive medium. Saffron contributes crocin and picrocrocin compounds, delivering both yellow color and a slightly bitter aromatic profile that cuts through the rich, fatty nature of eel meat. Paprika contains fat-soluble carotenoids, meaning blooming the spice briefly in warm olive oil extracts its vibrant red pigment far more effectively than adding it to raw water.
Managing the Protein and Starch Equilibrium
Eel flesh contains high levels of dense connective tissue and gelatin that render successfully only when subjected to a steady, moderate heat for approximately 20 minutes. Rapid boiling causes the delicate surface proteins of the fish pieces to tighten instantly, expelling moisture and resulting in a tough texture. Monitoring the viscosity of the liquid prevents burning, as the ground nuts in the picada paste will scorch quickly on the bottom of a casserole if the heat exceeds medium-low. Adding small splashes of hot water during the reduction phase keeps the solids suspended properly without dropping the cooking temperature below the simmering threshold.Executing the Picada Technique
Blending garlic, parsley, and toasted nuts with oil creates a traditional thickener known regionally as a picada. Pestle friction physically ruptures cell walls in the garlic and herbs, releasing essential oils that meld with the fats of the almonds. Emulsifying this paste directly into the boiling broth requires vigorous initial stirring to ensure uniform distribution before the starches begin to gelatinize. Utilizing a heavy-bottomed skillet or earthenware casserole ensures even thermal conductivity across the cooking surface, preventing localized hot spots that can scorch the delicate saffron threads.
