Anguilles au Vert
Freshwater eel cooked in a vivid green sauce made from a mixture of fresh herbs, a Flemish classic.
- prep
- 25 min
- cook
- 25 min
- total
- 50 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
Anguilles au vert takes freshwater eel from the Scheldt region and poaches it in an intensely green sauce built from a handful of fresh herbs rather than any single dominant flavor.
It's traditionally served either warm or chilled, which is unusual for a braised dish and part of what makes it distinct.
Part of our 20 best Belgian recipes list.
method
Melt a little butter in a wide pan, and sweat the shallots over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the eel pieces, and cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes per side, just to firm up the flesh. Pour in the wine and stock, and bring to a gentle simmer.
Cover and poach the eel gently for 10 to 15 minutes, until just cooked through. Lift the eel out with a slotted spoon, and set aside, keeping the poaching liquid in the pan.
Finely chop or blend the spinach, sorrel, parsley, chervil, tarragon and mint together into a coarse, vivid green mixture.
Stir the herb mixture into the hot poaching liquid, and simmer gently for 5 minutes, letting the greens wilt and the sauce turn deep green.
Whisk the egg yolks with the cream, then temper with a ladleful of the hot green sauce.
Remove the pan from the heat, and stir the egg-cream mixture into the sauce, stirring constantly; do not let it boil again.
Return the eel to the pan, season with salt and white pepper, and serve warm or chilled, as this dish is traditionally enjoyed either way.
chef's tips
- The herb mixture needs real volume, a genuinely large handful of mixed greens and herbs, to get the sauce's characteristic deep green color and flavor.
- Anguilles au vert is unusual among braised dishes in that it's traditionally served cold just as often as hot; both are correct.