Authentic Hamburg eel soup

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 ham bone (preferably from a Holstein ham hock)
• 3 liters of water
• 250 g shelled peas (or frozen green peas)
• 250 g parsnip(s), diced
• 2 stalk(s) leek, cut into fine rings
• ½ cup(s) herbs, finely chopped (thyme, marjoram, tarragon, dill, parsley, chervil)
• ½ celeriac, finely diced
• 200 g prunes
• 125 g apple rings, dried
• 500 g pear(s), waxy (bacon pears), peeled, quartered, pitted
• n. B. salt and pepper, freshly ground
• 1 pinch(s) nutmeg, freshly grated
• 2 tbsp vinegar (spirit vinegar)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 800 g fresh eel(s) (or 400 g eel fillet from the fishmonger)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes

according to a recipe from 1879, a lot of effort that is WORTH IT

You can pre-order the ham bone from your trusted butcher. Ask ahead of time. First, bring the ham bone to a boil in a large pot with 3 liters of water. Then simmer with the lid on for one hour at 3/4 heat. Meanwhile, place the prunes and apple rings in a large bowl, pour hot water over them (just enough to cover), and let them soak. Once the ham bone has simmered for one hour, add the vegetables (peas, parsnips, leeks, celery) to the simmering ham broth and reduce the heat to medium. After 30 minutes, remove the bone, scrape off any remaining meat, and return it to the soup. Now add the dried fruit (plums, apples) and the soaking water to the soup. Combine the softened butter and flour in a cup, stir into the soup until smooth, and then simmer vigorously for 3 minutes to remove the flour flavor. Season to taste with vinegar, sugar, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Now for the eel: If you want to put in the effort, fillet the fresh eel yourself. Head the fish and, using a sharp(!) knife, cut gently from the head end along the central bone to the tail end, then repeat the process on the other side. Now lay the fish skin-side down and, starting at the tail end, separate the skin from the fillet. To do this, secure the skin with your fingers and, again with a sharp knife at a shallow angle, cut slowly towards the head end. Then cut the fillets into pieces about 1 cm wide. Okay, most people will order the fillets from the fishmonger, which is perfectly fine. Now add the eel pieces to the soup along with the chopped herbs. Let it simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, then the soup is ready to serve. Peel the pears, quarter them, and cook them in lightly sweetened water over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until soft. Then drain and let cool. The pears are served cold with the soup. If you like, you can add flour dumplings cooked separately in salted water to the soup. Fresh, chopped sorrel makes a nice garnish, if you like. The soup is polarizing: you either love it or you hate it completely. If you ask for seconds after the first bowl, you’ve fallen in love with it… and will stay that way. If you don’t like fish (they also serve it), leave out the eel, and you’ll have a “lost eel soup.” It tastes truly delicious and Hanseatic.