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Eel in Aspic

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 kg eel, unskinned
• vinegar, hot (a little)
• eel broth (for the aspic) (half of the broth)
• white gelatin, dissolved in water (as needed)
• lemon juice (a little)
• 1.5 pcs egg white
• lemon and beet slices (garnish) (a little)
• hard-boiled eggs (garnish) (a little)
• pickled cucumbers (garnish) (a little)
• capers (garnish) (a little)
• vinegar and oil or remoulade sauce (as needed)

Instructions

1. Cut a 1 kilogram unskinned eel into pieces, pour hot vinegar over it, and cook until tender as with "Aal blau." Use half of the eel broth for the aspic: strain, let cool, carefully skim off fat, add white gelatin dissolved in water, season with lemon juice, stir in whisked egg white, and place on the heat.
2. Shortly before the broth begins to boil and white flakes rise, remove from heat, strain again, and season.
3. Pour a little aspic into a form greased with oil and let it set.
4. Arrange lemon and beet slices, hard-boiled eggs, pickled cucumbers, capers, and the eel pieces on top, pour the remaining aspic over everything, and let it cool.
5. To serve, invert the mold onto a flat platter, optionally surround with a jagged paper strip, and serve with vinegar and oil or a remoulade sauce.

Modernized from a treasured 19th-century German cookbook.