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All I Want for Christmas is Eel
Fruitcake and eggnog are all well and good but this Christmas eel is the real deal.
All I Want for Christmas is Eel
As stereotypically religious as many Italians are, Christmas Day, the birth of Jesus, blah blah blah falls back to to Christmas Eve. If you live in South Philly, you know the night by the smell of crispy smelts, sharp baccala and bubbling oil seeping into the air through the hundreds of cracked-open back doors of poorly ventilated row homes. It's the Feast of the Seven Fishes, baby, the most wonderful time of the year. (Confused? Check out this article I wrote for Gilt Taste last year.)
My modern contributions to the family feast aren't always well received by the old guard, so this year I'm considering going way old-school with eel. And I feel like I can tackle the slippery sea creatures thanks to Jeff Michaud and Brad Spence, who break down the break down on their web cooking series, Dude Food. (Highlight: When Spence tells Michaud to "get the fuck outta here" when Jeff tries to scare him while reaching into the bin of inky wigglers.) Butchering eel is pretty labor-intensive (and cruel, according to some disgruntled eel sympathizers in the comments) but the actual cooking goes one, two, three. I'll bet if you ask nicely at Ippolito's, they'll fillet the eel for you. Just make sure you use it immediately, something Jeff and Brad are united on. Also, use gloves if you have any open cuts; apparently, eel blood is toxic, which will only make the fact that I put myself in danger to cook this for my family all the more impressive.
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