Soft-Stuffed Eel

Soft-Stuffed Eel

　　Soft-Stuffed Eel, also known as “Soft-Stuffed Finless Eel,” is one of the most famous dishes in Huaiyang cuisine. It is the dish that people from Huai’an most enjoy serving to domestic and international guests, as its “tender, delicious, and uniquely flavorful” taste never fails to impress and delight. Culinary benefits: nourishes weakness and builds health, replenishes qi and blood, helps with malnutrition, and aids postpartum recovery. According to the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*, “The waters of Lake Guan have many eels.” The Jianghuai region is abundant in eels, which are tender, flavorful, and highly nutritious. Tian Shumin and his son, renowned chefs from Huai’an, were able to create 108 exquisite dishes using eel as the main ingredient — the famous “Whole Eel Banquet.” Among them, Soft-Stuffed Eel is the finest delicacy. The word “stuffed” refers to the traditional method of wrapping eels in cloth during preparation before undergoing refined cooking.

　　 The main ingredient for Soft-Stuffed Eel comes from the slender green eels produced in Qunan River Marshes, Chuzhou. This dish is famed for its soft, silky, and tender texture, standing out as a unique highlight among eel-based dishes. When picked up with chopsticks, the two ends dangle down like the ribbons on a child’s bellyband — hence the name “Soft-Stuffed Eel.” In 2002, the version made by chefs at Huai’an Hotel was awarded the title of “China Famous Dish” by the National Ministry of Internal Trade.

　　According to the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*, “The waters of Lake Guan have many eels.” The Jianghuai region is abundant in eels, which are tender, flavorful, and highly nutritious. Tian Shumin and his son, renowned chefs from Huai’an, were able to create 108 exquisite dishes using eel as the main ingredient — the famous “Whole Eel Banquet.” Among them, Soft-Stuffed Eel is the finest delicacy. The word “stuffed” refers to the traditional method of wrapping eels in cloth during preparation before undergoing refined cooking.

　　　　Ingredients: 1,000 grams of slender green eel from Qunan, a small amount of yellow Chinese chives. Seasonings: 25 grams of soy sauce, 10 grams of cooking wine, a pinch of pepper, 10 grams of cornstarch, 150 grams of vinegar, 5 grams of mashed garlic, 5 grams of salt, 55 grams of salt, a small amount of scallion and ginger.

　　　　Cooking process: 1. Bring water to a boil in a pot, then add salt, vinegar, scallion, and ginger. Add the eel, cook until the mouths open, let it sit briefly to become tender. Then remove and place in cold water, and slice open using a bamboo knife. 2. Cut the prepared eel appropriately in the middle, wash it, then blanch in boiling water, remove and drain the water. 3. Heat a wok, add 2 liang (approx. 100g) of lard, heat to 70–80% hot, add mashed garlic and lightly fry. Then add the eel, stir-fry by tossing the pan, add soy sauce, sugar (a little), cooking wine, and wet starch to evenly coat and brown. Add yellow Chinese chives, toss well, then plate. Sprinkle with pepper before serving.

　　　　Characteristics: glossy dark color, rich and smooth texture, tender and delicious. The famous poet Ding Mang, after tasting Soft-Stuffed Eel and Pingqiao Tofu at Huai’an Hotel, excitedly wrote a poem praising them: “Pingqiao Tofu has a thousand virtues, but Soft-Stuffed Eel is exquisitely fresh to the bone.”