Eel Strips

Eel Strips

　　“Eel Strips” is a traditional famous dish from the Jingzhou-Shashi region, with a history of over 200 years. The cut eel segments resemble bamboo joints, hence its original name “Bamboo Joint Eel.” Later, Chef Zeng Youhai, head chef at Shashi’s “Yisen Restaurant,” improved the cooking technique by changing the frying process from one to two rounds, making the fish crispier. Since Chef Zeng’s nickname was “Pitiaozi” (a colloquial term), people later started calling the dish “Eel Strips” after his pet name, and it has been passed down to this day.

　　 Legend has it that during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty, Zhu Caizhe, a fifth-rank county magistrate from Yilan, Taiwan (now in Hubei’s Jianli County), introduced the dish. At the time, people in Taiwan did not know that eels were edible. When hosting a banquet, the county magistrate instructed his family chef to serve “Eel Strips” as the first dish. The guests praised it highly, and since then, “Eel Strips” have taken root in Taiwan.

　　 Preparation Method:

　　 1. Clean and prepare the eel, then slice the flesh into strips 8 cm long and 2 cm wide, placing them in a bowl;

　　 2. Mix yellow wine, fine salt, and dry starch to coat the fish strips evenly;

　　 3. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, scallion segments, minced ginger, pickled garlic, and 100 ml of pork broth to make a sauce;

　　 4. Heat a wok over high heat, pour in vegetable oil, and when it reaches 70% heat, add the coated eel strips. Fry for about 3 minutes until the strips unfurl, then remove them;

　　 5. Reheat the oil to 70% heat, add the eel strips for a second fry, then remove the wok from the heat and deep-fry for 3 minutes. Return to high heat and continue frying for 1 more minute until golden brown, then remove;

　　 6. Pour the sauce into the wok and bring to a boil over high heat. Thicken with a cornstarch slurry, add the eel strips, toss the wok a few times, drizzle with sesame oil, then plate and serve.

　　 Tips:

　　 1. This dish uses the deep-fry and stir-fry method. Before cooking, select three live eels weighing over 150 grams each, slit them open lengthwise, remove the internal organs, and strip off the bones to get the clean fish flesh;

　　 2. The coated eel strips should be fried in hot oil for about 3 minutes until they naturally unfurl. Keep the strips flat while frying—avoid curling or sticking;

　　 3. For the second frying, fry for 1 minute first, then simmer-fry for 3 minutes, followed by returning to high heat for additional frying. Adjust timing based on heat intensity, and you may remove the pan from the flame during simmer-frying;

　　 4. When adding the sauce, do so quickly.