Eel on straw – what tastes good

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 6 handfuls of straw, dry (preferably rye straw)
• 4 eels, each 40 – 45 cm long, fresh with skin
• 4 tbsp sea salt, coarse
• 4 tbsp pepper, coarsely ground black
• 4 tbsp allspice, coarsely crushed
• 4 large potatoes, foil
• 200 ml sour cream, sour cream, or similar
• 50 g caviar (salmon caviar)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Preheat your electric oven to 175°C. Fill the oven’s roasting pan to the brim with the straw. Mix salt, pepper, and allspice in a deep dish. Cut the eels into four pieces, each about 10 cm long, leaving the skin and head on. Roll them in the spice mixture until they are coated with the spices (be patient; the spices take a while to adhere—it’s due to the eel’s subcutaneous fat, which only warms and liquefies during the rolling process). Place the prepared eel pieces belly-down on the straw (I place the head pieces diagonally in the corners of the roasting pan for their attractiveness) and place the filled roasting pan on the middle shelf of the preheated oven. Let it sizzle for 20-30 minutes at 165°C. (Test for doneness: Remove a medium-sized piece of eel and try to loosen the meat from the central bone with a spoon. If it comes easily, the pan is ready to serve.) Place the pan on a heat-shock-prepared table (covered with rice mats or something similar) and let the guests help themselves. For skeptics: The skin has become buttery crisp and demands to be eaten. The head pieces are reserved for the chef. The secret of the flavor lies in the fact that the eel is simultaneously baked in the oven and smoked over straw in its own fat. As a side dish: The four jacket potatoes, prepared in parallel, are still hot, removed from their foil, broken open, filled with sour cream or something similar, and topped with caviar. This is the house recipe of the late innkeeper of the Sudermühle in Petersdorf on Fehmarn. He was happy to explain and describe his recipe to me. I have often “copied” it and delighted many. Don’t look for the Sudermühle (it has unfortunately been closed for several years).